Biocompatibility of oxide bioceramics

Biological tests A-limited B-pro longed C-permanent 24 h) ( 24 h to 30 days) ( 30 days)  

Short-term in vivo biocompatibility ASTM F 763/82 Very good 

Mutagenicity Ames test Micronucleus test No mutagenic activity 

Systemic injection acute toxicity ASTM F 750/82 According to standard 

Intracutaneous injection ASTM F 749/82 ASTM F720/81 No irritation 

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Phase and chemical composition of bioactive materials is selected so as to ensure that implant surface adjacent to tissue or body fluids constitutes an intermediate layer which connects an implant with bone tissue. A variety of materials which fulfil such criteria have been developed in recent years. The most frequently used bioceramics, due to their high mechanical, corrosion and wear resistance as well as their non-toxicity and biocompatibility, include oxides AI2O3 (whose use for medicine is dated back to the thirties of the past century), Zr02 and calcium phosphates (Tab. 1, 2). 

Black, J. and G. W. Hastings. 1998. Handbook of Biomaterial Properties. London/New York Chapman and Hall. This is a compilation of data on natural tissues and fluids and how various implantable materials interact with than. The materials covered range from stainless steels, CoCr-based alloys, titanium, and titanium alloys, to thermoplastic polymers and oxide bioceramics. Biocompatibility is discussed with each material and in a chapter on general concepts of biocompatibUity. Available online on Knovel. 

A third class of bioceramics are based on Zr02, stabilized by Y2O3 or Ce02. These materials are close to aluminum oxide materials in terms of biocompatibility but exhibit a higher bend strength and crack resistance, though with lower compressive strength. Zirconium dioxide ceramics can be used for many of... 

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