Bioceramics

This volume contains 78 papers from the 6th International Symposium on Ceramics in Medicine, held in Philadelphia, USA and offers an extensive account of the leading edge research in this field of bioceramics. The sections are organized in such a way that they reflect the major lines of ceramics research, as well as focus on the critical properties and the mechanistic analyses of the interactions these materials elicit in tissues. The book includes sections on so called bioinert ceramics. These ceramics such as alumina and zirconia, are chemically very stable materials. They are primarily used in artificial joints and dental implants. Carbon-based ceramics have outstanding blood contact properties, and therefore, are the materials of choice in the construction of heart valves. This volume includes sections covering the current research on the use of bioactive ceramics and glasses as coatings on prostheses to achieve long-lasting fixation of devices.