BIOACTIVE GLASS FOR BONE AND JOINT REPAIR

This paper provides a review of some of our recent work involving the use of bioactive glasses in engineering hard and soft tissues for bone and joint repair in humans and animals. Bioactive glasses have held great promise for bone repair and regeneration, but their limitations have prevented them from realizing their potential. Recent research, utilizing new or modified bioactive glass compositions and novel processing techniques, has shown potential for overcoming these limitations, while maintaining the appealing properties of bioactive glasses. Our recent work has shown the ability to form porous, three-dimensional bioactive glass scaffolds with novel microstructures and unique mechanical properties for potential use as a segmental bone defect replacement or bone grafting material. Special compositions of bioactive glasses have been converted into novel biocompatible structures, such as hydroxyapatite microspheres and fibers, hollow or solid, which have potential application in drug or protein growth factor delivery for the repair and regeneration of hard tissues. Bioactive glasses have also shown excellent potential recently for use as a media supplement to enhance in vitro culture of tissue-engineered cartilage, and as a substrate in tissue-engineered osteochondral constructs for the healing of experimental cartilage defects in adult rabbit knees. The potential benefits of bioactive glasses in engineering hard and soft tissues for bone and joint repair are discussed.