Bioglass at 50 – A look at Larry Hench’s legacy and bioactive materials

Abstract In 1969, fifty years ago, a young professor of ceramic engineering created a 4-component glass to be used as a bone replacement material. That material became known as “Bioglass” and more generally as a class of materials known as bioactive glass. Those first experiments conducted by Dr. Larry Hench completely shifted the paradigm of how the biomaterials and medical communities look at the interactions between inorganic materials and tissues in the body. This article will touch on just a few highlights of the development of bioactive glasses and relate those to the concepts of bioactivity and tissue bonding.