New biomorphic SiC ceramics coated with bioactive glass for biomedical applications

A new generation of light, tough and high-strength material for medical implants for bone substitutions with a good biological response is presented. The innovative product that fulfills all these requirements is based on biomorphic silicon carbide ceramics coated with a bioactive glass layer. The combination of the excellent mechanical properties and low density of the biomorphic SiC ceramics, used as a base material for implants, with the osteoconducting properties of the bioactive glass materials opens new possibilities for the development of alternative dental and orthopedic implants with enhanced mechanical and biochemical properties that ensures optimum fixation to living tissue. Biomorphic SiC is fabricated by molten-Si infiltration of carbon templates obtained by controlled pyrolysis of wood. Through this process, the microstructure of the final SiC product mimics that of the starting wood, which has been perfected by natural evolution. The basic features of such microstructure are its porosity (ranging from 30% to 70%) and its anisotropy, which resembles the cellular microstructure and the mechanical characteristics of the bone. The SiC ceramics have been successfully coated with a uniform and adherent bioactive glass film by pulsed laser ablation using an excimer ArF laser. The excellent coverage of the SiC rough surface without film spallation or detachment is demonstrated. In order to assess the coating bioactivity, in vitro tests by soaking the samples in simulated body fluid have been carried out. After 72 h, the formation of a dense apatite layer has been observed even in interconnecting pores by SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis demonstrating the bioactive response of this product. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.