Abstract

Bioactive Glasses for Technological and Clinical Applications

Author(s): M. C. Rao and K. Ravindranadh

Corrosion resistant metals and insoluble, non-toxic polymeric materials became the standard biomaterials. Biomaterials are artificial or natural materials that are used to replace lost or diseased tissue and to restore form and function. Bioactive glasses are novel dental materials that are different from conventional glasses and are used in dentistry. Bioactive glasses are composed of calcium and phosphate, which are present in a proportion that is similar to the bone hydroxyapatite. Bioactive glasses have a wide range of applications. Bioglass also known as 45S5 is most commonly used for bone grafts. Bioactive materials, including bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics, are special compositions made typically from the Na2O-CaO-MgO-P2O5-SiO2 system. The potential range of biomedical applications of glass fibers encompasses the fields of muscle and ligament tissue engineering and nerve regeneration.