There are thousands of implant operations every year that give significant pain relief to patients. Even small improvements can reduce the need for further revision surgery. Improving the bonding of an implant, by using a bioactive coating, increases the rate of fixture of the implant, reducing the healing time. The original artificial bioactive coatings, calcium phosphates and hydroxyapatite, were absorbed quickly by the body. This leaves the substrate bare, resulting in loosening of the implant. Hench developed bioactive glass ceramics in the 1970s that were longer lasting and bonded to bone. Due to the low fracture toughness of these glass ceramics, these materials are used for non-load bearing components, ore more commonly as coatings. This paper shows that fluorapatite-mullite coatings can be successfully deposited as a glass ceramic.
