Reactions Of Bioactive Borate Glasses With Physiological Liquids

Interests in those silicate glasses that react with physiological liquids has been growing since L Hench first discovered over 30 years ago that certain silicate glasses were bioactive and reacted favourably to form strong chemical bonds to living tissue. Research on the use of glass in biological applications at the University of Missouri-Rolla has focused recently on alkali borate glasses because of their potentially faster reaction with physiological liquids and anticipated biodegradability. One example of an application where borate glasses might be used is in the treatment of arthritic joints using the procedure called radiation synovectomy.