Bioceramics for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

Considerable advances in tissue engineering and regeneration have been accomplished in recent years. Bioceramics have been developed to repair, reconstruct, and substitute diseased parts of the body and to promote tissue healing as an alternative to metallic implants. Applications embrace hip, knee, and ligament repair and replacement, maxillofacial reconstruction and augmentation, spinal fusion, bone filling, and repair of periodontal diseases. Bioceramics are well-known for their superior biocompatibility, high stiffness, resistance to oxidation, and low coefficient of friction. These specially designed biomaterials are grouped in natural bioceramics (e.g., coral-derived apatites), or synthetic bioceramics, namely bioinert ceramics (e.g., alumina and zirconia), bioactive glass and glass-ceramics, and calcium phosphates-based materials. Physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties, as well as bioceramics applications in diverse fields of tissue engineering, are presented herein. Additionally, recently FDA-approved bioceramic-based products for osteochondral tissue regeneration are listed. Based on the stringent requirements for clinical applications, perspectives for the development of advanced functional bioceramics for tissue engineering are highlighted for the future.