Bioactive Ceramics and Glasses for Tissue Engineering

The main bioactive ceramics and glasses used or under development for tissue engineering applications are reviewed. Applications of these biomaterials are mainly in bone tissue engineering but recent studies are also showing promising results for the use of bioactive glasses in healing soft tissue wounds. Hydroxyapatite, beta-tricalcium phosphate, and biphasic calcium phosphate are the most widely used bioactive ceramics. Silicate-based glasses such as the composition designated 45S5 and more recently developed borate and phosphate compositions are the main types of bioactive glass. Bioactive composites and inorganic-organic hybrids are also of interest. The properties of these bioactive ceramics and glasses and their performance in vitro and in vivo are reviewed