Bioactive glass

Bioactive glass is a type of glass that has the ability to interact with the body and cause beneficial changes at the cellular level. It is often used in medicine and dentistry for a variety of applications, including bone grafting and tissue engineering.

History

Bioactive glass was first developed in the late 1960s by Larry Hench at the University of Florida. The first bioactive glass, known as 45S5, was composed of 45% silicon dioxide and 5% calcium oxide, with the remainder being made up of sodium oxide and phosphorus pentoxide.

Properties

Bioactive glass has several unique properties that make it useful in medical applications. These include:

• Bioactivity: Bioactive glass has the ability to bond with both hard and soft tissue. This makes it an ideal material for use in bone grafts and other surgical procedures.

• Osteoconductivity: Bioactive glass promotes the growth of new bone tissue, a property known as osteoconductivity.

• Antibacterial properties: Some types of bioactive glass have been shown to have antibacterial properties, making them useful in preventing infection.

Applications

Bioactive glass is used in a variety of medical applications, including:

• Bone grafting: Bioactive glass is often used in bone grafts due to its ability to promote the growth of new bone tissue.

• Dental applications: In dentistry, bioactive glass is used in toothpaste to help repair damaged tooth enamel. It is also used in dental implants to promote the growth of new bone tissue.

• Tissue engineering: Bioactive glass is used in tissue engineering to create new tissues for use in medical procedures.

Future research

Research is ongoing into new applications for bioactive glass. This includes the development of bioactive glass that can deliver drugs directly to a specific area of the body, and the use of bioactive glass in the treatment of cancer.

See also

• Glass
• Bone grafting
• Tissue engineering
• Larry Hench

References

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