History of Development and Use of the Bioceramics and Biocomposites

Abstract

Bioceramics is a relatively new field; it did not exist until the beginning of 1970, when these materials were shown to restore osteoarticular and dental functions, as well as act as a replacement material for autografts and allograft bone reconstructions. Bioceramics used to replace, repair, or reconstruct human body parts or complex living tissues have differences in their chemical nature, properties, and applications, such as the use of alumina for hip prosthesis versus CaP bioceramics for bone regeneration. Alumina is classified as an inert bioceramic, while CaP bioceramics are considered bioactive biomaterials, able to be absorbed or bond directly with bone. This review concentrates on the development and use of bioceramics and biocomposites and is limited to CaP bioceramics. Bioactive bioceramics are recommended for use as an alternative or additive to autogenous bone for various procedures: orthopedic and dental applications, scaffolds for tissue engineering, vectors for gene therapy, and as a drug delivery system. There are two physical properties of bioceramics that are considered important for optimal biological performance, which includes bioceramic-cell interactions, bioceramic resorption, the bioceramic-tissue interface, and new bone formation. These fundamental properties are interconnecting macroporosity and appropriate microporosity. CaP bioceramics are a recent development in bone surgery that act as a replacement for auto- and allografts, which have been engineered less than 100 years from the first medical applications and less than 30 years from the initial manufacturing of medical devices and experiments with bone regeneration. Bioactive bioceramics have largely contributed to this revolution in medicine. Numerous innovations in this field are now appearing; it is the beginning of bioceramics and not the “has-been medical device.”