Ed: P. Vincenzini

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1993, pp 409, $110

This book, published as No. 17 in the Materials Science Monographs series represents the proceedings of the second lntemational Symposium on Bioceramics (2nd BIOSIMP) held in Lignano, Sabbiadoro, Italy, June 7 982. It is published in camera ready form and the book does not contain an index. The contents list divides papers into three main groups: Materials and their evaluation; Orthopaedic implants; Dental and Maxillofacial. The book also contains the introductory lecture by Hulbert, Hench, Forbes and Bowman entitled ‘History of Bioceramics’ which gives a valuable review supported by an extensive bibliography of the development of this subject. In the materials section it was of interest to note that attention is being addressed to some fo the critical problems in the uses of ceramic materials. The papers in general are not simply descriptive of materials production and tissue interaction but are now being directed towards very specific enquiries, e.g. design criteria (Kawahara) and the durability of ceramics when used in major load bearing joint replacements in the human body (Dorre et al). The dif- ferentiation between bioinert and bioactive ceramics is now of course well established and it was interesting to read the paper by Heimke in which the detailed design characteristics of bioinert ceramics for a range of applica- tions were discussed. These papers are welcome addi- tions to the literature but what are still needed are some in depth studies of the actual materials science of these ceramics so that it is possible to understand more fully their likely performance in vim

As well as papers devoted to aluminium oxide there are several papers dealing with calcium phosphate materials representing the bioactive type of ceramic. Various forms of glass, including an interesting new con-

trol releaste glass (Burnie and Gilchrist) and various forms of carbon complete the materials in this section.

This part of the book is a valuable contribution to the materials science and can be read with profit and interest.

The next section dealing with orthopaedic implants provides a review of the state of the art at the present time. It is interesting to note an estimate that up until 1981 more than 30 000 spherical compounds made from aluminium oxide ceramic have been made in Europe for clinical use. This clearly represents an important applica- tion of this material which as yet has not been seen to be the case in the UK. Various aspects of the use of ceramics are presented and in addition to the conventional ball type, other papers deal with wear, bioglass and with cement (a reinforced acrylic cement being an interesting development). The importance of proof testing is in- creasingly being realized in these developments and it is now possible, for example, to predict that for a frozen load of 12 000 N a mechanical lifetime of 30 years can be expected.

Dental implants represent the final section which provides six papers. These cover carbon, alumina, calcium phosphate and composite materials as well as carbon coating on titanium. Most of these papers deal either with material development or with animal experiments - only the final paper on alumina ceramic dental implants being a study in patients.

This is an interesting and useful book to be com- mended to all interested in progress in ceramic materials for medical applications.

G.W. Hastings

Bioceramics of calcium phosphate Ed: K. de Groot

CRC Press Inc., 1983, pp 166, $52.00

This book comprises original contributions, from different authors coordinated by Dr. K. de Groot, on bioactive ceramic materials based on calcium phosphate, for dental implants pa~iculady and for bone substitution in general.

The new surgical possibilities of bioceramics based on calcium phosphate (particularly devoted to dental implants) are reported, suggesting solutions to some pro- blems at present still under discussion in the medical field.

This book is useful for surgeons and dentists and is intended for students {material science and medical science) of different disciplines so that they know the chemico-physical and technological properties of bio- ceramic material, and so that they are encouraged to make a contribution towards improving the product.

This book is useful for people working in the field of bioengineering, since they are more and more involved in rapid technological development over the past few years; this is indicated by the numerous bibliographic referen- ces, where specific knowledge about the formation and stability of calcium phosphates is reported. Particular attention is devoted to the biological factors that deter- mine the stability of calium phosphate under physiological and eventually pathological conditions.

A large part of the book is devoted particularly to the dental implants field and with specific references to bone and to the minerals of bone.

The book considers the tissue interactions to bone replacement from the histological point of view.

A. Ravaglioli

310 Biomaterials 1984. Vol5 September