Abstract
Biomaterials are playing an increased role in the regeneration of damaged or absent bone tissue in the context of trauma, non-union, infection or congenital abnormality. Restoration of not only the physical scaffold that bone provides, but also of its homeostatic functions as a calcium store and hematopoietic organ are the gold standards of any regenerative procedure. Bioactive glasses are of interest as they can bond with the host bone and induce further both bone and blood vessel growth. The composition of the bioactive glasses can be manipulated to maximize both osteogenesis and angiogenesis, producing a 3D scaffolds that induce bone growth whilst also providing a structure that resists physiological stresses. As the primary endpoints of studies looking at bioactive glasses are very often the ability to form substantial and healthy tissues, this review will focus on the methods used to study and quantify osteogenesis and angiogenesis in bioactive glass experiments. These methods are manifold, and their accuracy is of great importance in identifying plausible future bioactive glasses for clinical use.
Highlights
The regeneration of damaged or absent bone tissue in the context of trauma, non-union, infection or congenital abnormality remains a challenging task for medical teams around the world
The incidence of bone defects is increasing due in part to an aging population (Amini et al, 2012), and the need for bone regeneration in these situations has led to the development of multiple techniques that aim to restore function and structure, such as, autologous bone grafting, allografting and prostheses
IHC retains all of the beneficial features of traditional histological stains, but with the added ability to assess biological activity in the cells, and better recognize complex cell lines. This type of analysis is used commonly in assessing angiogenesis in bioactive glass experiments as it overcomes issues that cross-sectional imaging has with imaging vasculature
Summary
The regeneration of damaged or absent bone tissue in the context of trauma, non-union, infection or congenital abnormality remains a challenging task for medical teams around the world. As well as modifications to the composition of the bioactive glasses in an effort to maximize bone and blood vessel growth, there is vast interest in different manufacturing techniques that allow production of other desirable characteristics, such as porosity, pore interconnectivity and overall strength (Jones et al, 2006). This has led to the idea of building 3D scaffolds that induce bone growth whilst providing structures that resist physiological stresses (O’Brien, 2011; Fiume et al, 2018). Their accuracy is of great importance in identifying plausible future bioactive glasses for clinical use
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
