Bioactive Glass-Based Coatings and Modified Surfaces: Strategies for the Manufacture, Testing, and Clinical Applications for Regenerative Medicine - Biological and Biomedical Coatings: Processing and Characterization - page 418

(a) (b)

15 KV ×250 100 µm 000000 20 KV ×150 100 µm 000000

(c)

20 KV

FIGURE 9.18
SEM of Mersilk ® sutures (a) uncoated, (b) slurry-dip-coated with AgBG glass powders and (c) 45S5 Bioglass ®
powders. (From Pratten et al., J. Biomater. Appl. , 19(1), 47-57, 2004. With permission [50].)

NanoscopicSurfaceModificationofBioactiveGlasses
Materials composed of one or more engineering nanocomponents/surface features
(1-100 nm) are called nanomaterials [41]. They offer an exciting new possibility for medi-
cal device technology development. Possible applications include imaging and diagnosis,
anticancer therapies, drug delivery platforms, and gene therapy. It is expected that nano-
technology will revolutionize tissue engineering.
Nanotechnology can be used to engineer surfaces to:

• Significantly improve/control rates of bioactivity ( I b ), resulting in faster tissue
integration/growth
• Create bioinspired nanoarchitectures mimicking ECM form and function

Bioinspired nanotechnological engineering coupled with bioactivity presents a new and
exciting strategy to potentially and significantly improve the in vivo performance of
implants to last the lifetime of the patient.