Application of Bioactive Glass Scaffolds

Dear Colleague,

Since the discovery of the bioactive glass 45S5 by L.L. Hench in 1969, researchers have focused great attention on understanding the composition vs. bioactivity relationship. The level of understanding gained by the scientific community has led to product being commercialized for various medical applications: From dentistry to orthopedic. However, the need for 3D porous construct called a “scaffold”, being not only biocompatible, but also able to induce osteogenesis became apparent. Rapidly thereafter, the scientific community defined the properties that such scaffold should possess to be clinically relevant. The scaffold should, aside from its osteoinductivity (or at least osteoconductivity) be highly porous (>60%), have pore size and pores interconnection over 100 µm and mechanical properties close to the tissue to be regenerated. Bioactive glass and glass-ceramic rapidly became a material of choice in an attempt to meet all this requirements. The emergence of relatively new processes and glass composition has led to the manufacturing of new bioactive glass and glass-ceramic scaffolds with a wide range of degradation rate, mechanical properties and having the ability to release therapeutic ions.

The focus of this Special Issue is to provide a forum for original research articles, as well as critical reviews related to the progress that has been made in this field during the last decade, illustrating where we are at this time, expanding on results, newest advances, regulatory issues, and near future possibilities, as well as the limitations of these materials. The Special Issue, while focusing on bioactive glass and glass-ceramics, will also cover the use of such materials as secondary phase in composite or hybrid materials.

Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Massera
Guest Editor

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