Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Rapid Mix Preparation of Bioinspired Nanoscale Hydroxyapatite for Biomedical Applications
Published on: February 23, 2017
The effect of crystallization of bioactive bioglass 45S5 on apatite formation and degradation
Manja Plewinski1, Karolina Schickle, Markus Lindner
1Department of Dental Materials and Biomaterials Research, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Objective:
Amorphous bioglass 45S5 has been used for many years as bone substitute material. Bioactive glasses are also suitable as coating materials for implants in order to improve the bone ongrowth behavior. We hypothesize that both the apatite formation on the surface and the chemical stability can be improved by crystallization of the bioglass.
Methods:
Synthesized amorphous bioglass 45S5 specimens as well as samples which were crystallized at 1000 °C were stored in simulated body fluid for 1, 7, and 14 days. The respective apatite formation was gravimetrically determined and characterized by SEM and XRD analysis. Moreover, the degradation behavior was studied after storage in distilled water.
Results:
The weight of the crystallized samples decreased 6.3% less than that of the amorphous samples. Calcium silica and calcium carbonate layers were found on amorphous bioglass after 7 and 14 days. However, apatite formation was observed only on the crystallized 45S5 samples after storage.
Significance:
We conclude that the chemical resistance can be improved and, in parallel, a pronounced apatite formation on the surface of 45S5 can be obtained by controlled crystallization of the material for the particular test setup. Therefore, crystallized bioactive glasses should be considered to be promising coating material for dental implants.

