Recycled windshield glass as new material for producing ultrasonic phantoms of cortical bone-healing stages.

The quantitative ultrasound technique was used to evaluate bone-mimicking phantoms; however, these phantoms do not mimic the intermediate stages of cortical bone healing. We propose using windshield glass as an original material to produce phantoms that mimic the characteristics of three different stages of cortical bone healing. This material was processed via a route that included breaking, grinding, compacting, drying, and sintering in four temperature groups: 625 °C, 645 °C, 657 °C, and 663 °C. The parameters evaluated were the ultrasonic longitudinal phase velocity (cL), corrected (αc) ultrasonic attenuation coefficient, and bulk density (ρs). The results showed that the mean values ofcL,αc,andρsvaried from 2, 398 to 4, 406 m·s-1, 3 to 10 dB·cm-1, and 1, 563 to 2, 089 kg·m-3, respectively. The phantoms exhibited properties comparable with the three stages of cortical bone healing and can be employed in diagnostic and therapeutic studies using ultrasound.

Bioactive porous titanium: an alternative to surgical implants.

Porous titanium implants have been used to improve implant-bone attachment by the ingrowth of bone tissue within the porous structure. Despite the efficient bone adhesion of porous titanium implants, chemical bonds are required at bone-implant interface. These implants can become bioactive by a biomimetic precipitation process. The aim of this work was to enhance the bioactivity of pure porous titanium implants by biomimetic process. The samples immersed in a simulated body fluid promoted the nucleation and growth of calcium phosphate (Ca-P) crystals, such as hydroxyapatite (Hap), on the material surface. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed that a Ca-P deposition occurred without the need of pretreatments to improve the surface bioactivity. This present study indicates the potential for growing a bone-like Hap layer on porous titanium implants by biomimetic processes.