| A review on glasses for biomedical applications with particular
emphasis on calcium-iron-phosphate type glasses is
presented. A wide range of glass forming compositions exist
in tbe system which can provide materials having the needed
mechanical and biochemical properties. The redox state of
iron containing glasses is sensitive to melting atmosphere
wbicb in turn also affects their chemical and physical
properties. Calcium phosphate glasses are diamagnetic,
whereas calcium-iron-phosphate glasses are paramagnetic.
A few spontaneously crystallized materials, exhibiting ferrimagnetic
behaviour, are biocompatible. A few orthopaedic
devices, designed and fabricated into composite forms using
fibres produced from these compositions and polylactic acid
(PLA) polymer, are being evaluated at present. Potential
products and research issues have also been identified and
discussed. |
