Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Calcium Orthophosphates as
Bioceramics
4.1
Introduction
One of the most exciting and rewarding research areas of the
materials science involves various applications to health care.
Examples are sutures, catheters, heart valves, pacemakers, breast
implants, fracture fixation plates, nails and screws in orthopedics,
dental filling materials, orthodontic wires, as well as total joint
replacement prostheses. Furthermore, during the past decades, both
an ageing population and a democratization of high-risk sports have
led to a surge of bone-related diseases and bone fractures, which
must be treated. However, in order to be accepted by the living
body, all implantable items must be prepared from a special class of
materials, called biomedical materials or biomaterials, in short.
Overall, all solids are divided into four major groups of materials:
metals, polymers ceramics and composites thereof. Similarly, all
biomaterials are also divided into the same major groups: biometals,
biopolymers, bioceramics and biocomposites. All of them play very
important roles in both replacement and regeneration of the human
tissues. However, due to a great number of publications, this chapter
is limited to bioceramics only. In general, the modern bioceramics
comprise various polycrystalline materials, glasses, glass-ceramics,
as well as ceramic-filled bioactive [1] composites. All of them might
be manufactured in both porous and dense forms in bulk, as well as
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