In Vitro Bioactivity of PMMA-co-EHA Composites Filled with SiO₂-Free Glass

Abstract

Bioactive materials for potential medical application have inspired and stimulated new searches. It has been confirmed that bioactive glasses bond to living bone through an apatite layer that precipitates on their surface in physiological media. These glasses normally constituted by silica, where the silicon is the network former, induce apatite nucleation by the formation of Si-OH groups. The presence of OH groups seems to be of utmost importance in the bioactive behaviour of materials. It was revealed that even metals, such as pure titania gel can bond to bone, if previously subjected to alkali and heat treatments. In the present work a new composite with a Ca-P-Ti glass was synthesized and its in vitro bioactivity was studied in Kokubo's simulated body fluid. It is believed that the formation of Ti-OH groups on the glass can induce apatite precipitation on the composites surface.