Glass caused a revolution in health care when Bio glass was discovered by Larry Hench. It was the first material to bond with bone, rather than be encapsulated by fibrous tissue, launching the field of bioactive ceramics. Bioglass is also biodegradable. Almost 50 years on from its discovery that revolution continues. Bioactive glasses stimulate more bone regeneration than other bioactive ceramics, which is attributed to their dissolution products stimulating cells at the genetic level. This second discovery has changed the way clinicians, scientists and regulatory bodies think about medical devices and the concept of bioactivity. The original 45S5 Bioglass has only recently found really widespread use in orthopaedics, having regenerated the bones of more than 1.5 million patients. Its full potential is yet to be fulfilled. This article takes the reader from Hench's Bioglass 45S5 to its clinical uses and products, before giving examples of non-surgical products that now use Bioglass, from consumer products, such as toothpaste, to cosmetics. Other glasses have also found important health care applications, such as borate-based glasses that heal chronic wounds. The revolution looks set to continue as new health care applications are being found for bioactive glasses, contributing to extending the "glass age".
