Bioactive Glasses

Introduction

Heimo O. Ylanen

Today, millions of prostheses, implants and bone grafts are needed to maintain the quality of life of the aging population. The increased human lifespan alone has created enough problems in this regard, even if we discount the need for repairing or replacing body parts damaged by an individual's own actions. As a result, material scientists have for decades faced the challenge of developing advanced biomaterials to repair the defects of the human body or to replace damaged parts. A significant advance in the search for better biomaterials was provided by the introduction of two new synthetic biomaterials during the early 1970s. The materials were developed independently and almost simultaneously by several groups ...