Induction of bioactivity of a non-bioactive glass-ceramic by a chemical treatment

Glass-ceramic A-W(Al), which was prepared by heat treatment of a MgO-CaO-SiO2-P2O5-Al2O3 glass to precipitate crystalline apatite and wollastonite, shows a higher mechanical strength than glass-ceramic A-W, which was prepared by heat treatment of a MgO-CaO-SiO2-P2O5 glass to precipitate the same types of crystalline phases. The former, however, does not show bone-bonding ability, i.e. bioactivity, whereas the latter shows it. In the present study, in order to induce bioactivity of glass-ceramic A-W(Al), it was treated with HCl or NaOH solutions with different concentrations, and its bioactivity was evaluated by examining the apatite formation on its surface in a simulated body fluid (SBF) with ion concentrations nearly equal to those of human blood plasma. When the glass-ceramic A-W(Al) was pretreated with HCl aqueous solutions with concentrations over 0.1 M, it formed the bone-like apatite on its surface in SBF. This was attributed to the formation of a hydrated silica on its surface by the HCl treatment.