Glass and Medicine

Abstract

For centuries, glass has been an important part of both the practical and the esthetic aspects of our culture. This paper documents three areas of glass research and development pioneered over the last 40 years that have greatly enhanced the quality of life (bioactive glasses and dental glass–ceramics) and the length of life (radioactive glass microspheres).

Medical Application of Calcium Orthophosphate Bioceramics

“…One should better rely on the bioactivity mechanism of other biomaterials, particularly of bioactive glassesthe concept introduced by Prof. Larry L. Hench [49][50][51][52]. The bonding mechanism of bioactive glasses to living tissues involves a sequence of 11 successive reaction steps.…”

Surface morphology andin vitrobioactivity of biocompatible hydroxyapatite coatings on medical grade S31254 steel by RF magnetron sputtering deposition

“…The formation mechanism of apatite on the surface of HA compacts after soaking in SBF may be attributed to the ion exchange between HA compacts and the SBF solution [43]. The bonding mechanism of bioactive materials to living tissues involves a sequence of eleven successive reaction steps [44][45]. The growth of apatite during 28 days of immersion in SBF is comparatively much more rapid with respect to the overall life (5-10 years) of an implant, confirming that the HA coated surface produced in our research is more bioactive, when compared to the bare SS254 implant and thus promotes more osseointegration [41].…”

Untitled

“…This review is about bioceramics (or biomedical ceramics) which might be defined as biomaterials of the ceramic [47] origin. Bioceramics can have structural functions as joint or tissue replacements, be used as coatings to improve the biocompatibility [48] of metal implants, as well as function as resorbable lattices, providing temporary structures and frameworks that are dissolved and/or replaced as the body rebuilds the damaged tissues [49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. Some types of bioceramics even feature a drug-delivery capability [56,57].…”

“…Accordingly, from the mechanical point of view, calcium orthophosphate bioceramics appear to be brittle polycrystalline materials for which the mechanical properties are governed by crystallinity, grain size, grain boundaries, porosity and composition [203]. Thus, it possesses poor mechanical properties (for instance, a low impact and fracture resistances) that do not allow calcium orthophosphate bioceramics to be used in loadbearing areas, such as artificial teeth or bones [49][50][51][52][53][54][55]300] ). It decreases almost linearly with a porosity increasing [233].…”

“…The formation of bonelike apatite on artificial material is induced by functional groups, such as Si-OH (in the case of biological glasses), Ti-OH, Zr-OH, Nb-OH, Ta-OH, -COOH and -H 2 PO 4 (in the case of other materials). These groups have specific structures revealing negatively charge and induce apatite formation via formations of an amorphous calcium compound, e.g., calcium silicate, calcium titanate and ACP" [49][50][51][52].…”