Main description:

Due to their biocompatibility and bioactivity, bioactive glasses are used extensively as implant materials throughout the human body to replace or repair damaged tissue. Once in vivo, this man-made material gradually transforms to mimic natural bone. Consequently, this material has been used extensively since its invention in the 60s and is widely researched throughout the world. Bioactive glasses provides the reader with a comprehensive review of the current status of this unique material and its applications, technologies and future trends. The first part of the book discusses materials and mechanical properties with chapters on spun bioactive glasses, cell interaction and regulatory issues. Part two reviews a wide range of applications in fields such as tissue engineering, orthopaedics and wound healing.

Contents:

Part 1 Materials and mechanical properties of bioactive glass: Melt-derived bioactive glasses; Surface modification of bioactive glasses; Cell interaction with bioactive glasses and ceramics; Regulatory aspects of bioactive glass. Part 2 Applications of bioactive glass: Bioactive glass and glass ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering; Nanoscaled bioactive glass particles and nanofibres; Bioactive glasses containing composites for bone and musculoskeletal tissue engineering scaffolds; Use of bioactive glasses as bone substitutes in orthopaedics and traumatology; Bioactive glass S53P4 as a bone graft substitute in the treatment of osteomyelitis; Bioactive glass for maxillofacial and dental repair; Bioactive glass and biodegradable polymer composites; Bioactive glasses for wound healing.