Abstract
Biomaterials influence human lives through their versatile medical applications and very promising future. A large number of pharmaceutical firms and manufacturing companies are investing in the production, development, and commercialization of new biomaterial products. The biomaterials industry is a large contributor to the overall market for medical technology, resulting in approximately $42 billion in annual sales with an anticipated growth rate of ~15-18% over the succeeding years. The rapid growth of this large industry is a direct result of its positive influence on the quality of human life. Biomaterials have already opened a large range of medical devices for the skin, bone and dental repair, artificial arteries, limb replacements, nerve guidance tubes, mechanical heart valves, stents, and pacemakers, all of which can increase the quality and length of life for people around the globe. Bioactive glasses are excellent examples of biomaterials for clinical applications owing to their high biocompatibility, bioactivity, and flexibility in compositional design and properties. The invention of Bioglass® by Prof. Larry Hench magnificently revolutionized the medical industry. Following this breakthrough, many research groups have actively engaged in developing different bioactive glasses and implementing them for scaffold generation, tissue engineering, ophthalmology, cranioplasty implants, angiogenesis, wound healing, and cardiovascular applications. The present chapter focuses on the various applications of bioactive glasses in medicine and is dedicated to the founder of this research field, Prof. Larry Hench (Prof. Larry Hench passed away on December 16, 2015, in Florida (USA), after spending his life for biomaterials research), who carried key invaluable contributions to biomaterials science and industry. The trails set by him will always be guiding researchers in this field.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Clinical Applications of Biomaterials |
| Subtitle of host publication | State-of-the-Art Progress, Trends, and Novel Approaches |
| Publisher | Springer International Publishing |
| Pages | 1-34 |
| Number of pages | 34 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9783319560595 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9783319560588 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 7 2017 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Engineering(all)
- Materials Science(all)
- Medicine(all)
- Health Professions(all)
