Bioceramics: Processing routes and mechanical evaluation

An improved understanding of currently used bioceramics in human implants and in bone replacement materials could contribute significantly to the design of new generation prostheses and post-operative patient management strategies. Overall, the benefits of advanced ceramic materials in biomedical applications have been universally appreciated, specifically, in terms of their strength, biocompatibility and wear resistance. However, the amount of supporting data is not large and the continuous development of new characterization tools is pertinent for better understanding of the microstructure-properties relationship and in general for obtaining new directives for their further improvement. This paper gives an overview and re-examines key-issues which concern both processing and applications of ceramics as biomaterials. With doing this, we attempt to bring to the attention of the ceramic community the issues in current bioceramics.