Papers by Author: Erik Vedel

Abstract: In vitro reactions of bundles of fibers with diameters 20-500 μm and crushed glasses of fractions 500-800 μm were compared with the reactions of plates of the same bioactive glasses. The samples were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 2-7 days. After immersion the changes on the surfaces of the samples were observed by SEM/EDXA. Layer formation on the glass surface was found to vary with glass composition, sample shape and local condition of single particle/fiber. However, only some fibers or particles formed similar in vitro reaction layers as the plates. The product form did not change the in vitro bioactivity of particles or fibers exposed to the bulk immersion solution. When the glasses were used as fiber bundles or particle beds, the packing degree and the flow of body fluids within the system interfered with the reactivity. Also a clear correlation between in vivo layer formation in bone and in vitro of the glass plates could be found.

Abstract: We investigated the electrical polarizability of MgO and B2O3 containing bioactive glass (MBG). The MBG material with good manufacturing properties but low bioactivity was electrically polarized at a high dc field. The electrical polarizability of MBG was evaluated by thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements and immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). The early precipitation of calcium phosphate on the negatively charged surface of the treated MBG demonstrated the increased bioactivity of the material and confirmed its polarizability. It is suggested that the electrical interactions between the polarized MBG and ions in SBF promoted the formation of the calcium phosphate precipitation. Accordingly, the increased bioactivity of the MBG in SBF is suggested to demonstrate the conversion of MBG into electrovector ceramics by the polarization treatment.

Abstract: The crystallization tendency for 30 experimental glasses in the system Na2O-K2O-MgOCaO-B2O3-P2O5-SiO2 was studied with thermal methods, DTA, HSM and XRD. The glasses were also immersed into simulated body fluid for 8 and 72 hours. The formation of the silica-rich gel and calcium phosphate layer on the glasses were analyzed with SEM. The in vitro behavior and crystallization tendency for heat-treated glasses were then related. This information is essential for choosing glass compositions that can be manufactured to desired products with controlled bioactivity for different applications. In general, glasses with low alkali content can tolerate heattreatment without crystallization but have less initial Si-gel formation ability and show less in vitro bioactivity than glasses with high alkali content.

Abstract: In vitro behavior of 30 new glasses in the system Na2O-K2O-MgO-CaO-B2O3 -P2O5-SiO2 was investigated by immersing them into a simulated body fluid for 4 to168 hours. This study involved the observation of both the changes in the properties of the immersion solution and on the glasses surface after immersion. In vitro reactivity was different for each experimental glass depending on its chemical composition. By comparing these glasses to four established bioactive glasses showing different in vivo bioactivity, a fast estimation of the bioactivity of glasses can be done; thereby the optimization of bioactive glasses for various clinical applications can be developed.