Advanced Bioceramics of Third Generation for Bone Tissue Regeneration

In today's industrialized society, the improved quality of life has led to a rapid increase in average age of population worldwide. As the human body ages, the load bearing joints become more susceptible to ailments. In the near future, high percentage of the global disease will be associated with bone defects. Therefore, there is an enormous scientific interest in the development of biomaterials that can be implanted in human body to replace damaged tissue in order to restore its normal function with minimal adverse reaction or rejection by the body. Sol-gel bioactive glass represent an important class of biomaterials that are widely employed for bone repair and replacement. They integrate with the bone through apatite-like layer at the interface between implanted biomaterial and physiological fluids. The apatite-like layer is similar to the mineral component of the mammalians bone and is responsible for proteins adsorption, subsequent cells adhesion, proliferation and success of the implant. The biocompatibility and bone regeneration properties of bioactive glasses led to their use in drug delivery, bone filling, tissue engineering and medical implant applications.