In recent years, there has been an increased interest in using bioactive glass for bone regeneration. Bone regeneration is a promising treatment for spinal injuries due to high prevalence of diseases such as such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and spinal stenosis. According to the study ‘Osteoarthritis in Europe: Impact on health status, work productivity and use of pharmacotherapies in five European countries’ that examined the impact of peripheral joint osteoarthritis across five European countries, U.K (43.6%), France, (25.6%), Germany, (15.2%), Spain, (8.4%), and Italy (7.1%) recorded high prevalence of peripheral joint osteoarthritis, with majority of cases aging 55-74 years.
Bone regeneration materials that contain bioactive chemicals are now being researched for their ability to promote the growth of new cells within bones. Such studies have revealed that calcium phosphate and calcium sulfates are two of the bioactive substances that can play a key role in bone regeneration. Studies have also shown that adding bioactive glass to spinal implant surgeries resulted in significant improvements in bone growth. The increase in bone density was found to be permanent. This means that after the addition of the substances, postoperative bone growth was found to be sustained for the long term. Moreover, there were no reports of adverse side effects. Therefore, the scope of this special issue of bone regeneration materials has therefore been expanded to include the recent findings relating to the potential to add bioactive ingredients to the surgical wounds used in the treatment of bone injuries.
Calcium phosphate is used as an active ingredient in topical solutions and as a bone regeneration material. There have also been increased research activities in the fields of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency in relation to bone formation and regeneration. As more attention is paid to prevention and delay the effects of osteoporosis, there is an increased need to understand the role of vitamin D and its importance in the bone regeneration process. It is here that the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation can be best realized through increased research activities.
Development of new bone regeneration technologies is expected to boost demand for bone regeneration materials. For instance, in February 2021, Osteopore International, an implant manufacturer, in collaboration with Maastricht University Medical Center, developed a bioresorbable 3D printed cage to help patients regenerate new bone cells.
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