Glass-ceramic coated implants. A simple model for a loaded hip prosthesis with a bioactive interface.

The favorable histological results at the bone-implant-interface of glass ceramic material are well-known. The mechanical properties of the solid material limit it's application for implants. Therefore metallic hip implants had been coated by glass ceramic granules, by a special technique, to transfer the bioactive property of the glass ceramic on to the metal stem. The following loaded experiments in rabbits with a simple model of a hip endoprosthesis showed a direct and tight bonding between implant surface and surrounding new bone formation. These findings demonstrate a possibility to anchor a joint endoprosthesis without the use of bone cement.