Bio-Ceramics with Clinical Applications

Research on biomaterials has been growing in the past 10 years due to the clinical needs in organ and tissue replacement and regeneration. Bioceramics are suitable candidates for many clinical applications, such as bone-like scaffolds, and bone regeneration materials. They include calcium phosphates, silica-based ceramics, such as bioglasses and mesoporous silica, carbon-based materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, and alumina, zirconia, and silicon nitride. Their clinical applications include orthopaedics (artificial hips, knees, elbows etc) dental implants, bone plates and screws, bone cements, anti-fouling surfaces, drug-delivery systems, and cancer therapy.§This book provides important information concerning the synthesis and characterisation of bioceramics, and will be useful for all researchers involved in this field. The contents cover bioceramics, biomimetism, bioactive ceramics, and inert ceramics. The authors will pay special attention to explain the relationship between the synthesis processes and the subsequent clinical applications.§Written by Maria Vallet-Regi and a small team of authors based at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, the book provides a cohesive, structured account of the advances and new applications of bioceramics in the clinical world.