Challenges For Bioceramics In The 21St Century

The clinical success of first-generation and second-generation bioceramic implants has been a vital response to the medical needs of a rapidly ageing population. Millions of patients have benefited. However, survivability analyses of most skeletal prostheses as well as bioceramic artificial heart valves show that between a third to a half of prostheses fail within 10-25 years and that patients require revision surgery. 20 years of research has had little effect on failure rates. This article looks at third-genreation biomaterials, which are being designed to stimulate specific cellular responses at the level of molecular biology. Bioactive materials are being made resorbable, and resorbable materials are being made bioactive.