BioGran: a novel glass used in the repair of osseous defects

ABSTRACT

A review of the literature reveals that the use of biomaterials in skeletal repair has generated considerable interest in recent years. Current strategies used to treat osseous defects achieve the goals of maintaining and establishing bony contours and restoring mechanical function. A ideal material used in the replacement of lost bone tissue should exhibit bioactivity. This would allow a favourable tissue response and avoid the unfavorable fibrous encapsulation often associated with synthetic biomaterials. A novel material that exhibits this bioactivity is a bioactive glass called Biogran. Biogran consists of bioactive glass granules of a narrow size range (300-355um). Its unique properties enable it to induce bone formation, thereby making it osteconductive in nature. Extensive laboratory as well as clinical studies have been conducted using this novel material. A variety of the clinical applications are reported.(AU)