Current strategies in the tissue engineering field are bringing functional biomaterials with required structural, mechanical, and biological performance able to endorse the repair and regeneration of injured or diseased tissues. Biocomposites formed by biodegradable polymers matrix and bioceramics have proved their effectiveness in clinics, namely in orthopaedics and dental medicine. They are being used as suture anchors and interference screws, while bioceramics are indicated as cements, blocks, granules, or as coatings for metal implants. The biocompatibility and osteoconductivity of the bioceramics together with the high mechanical properties provided by the polymers make them ideal candidates towards the designing of advanced scaffolds and implants. A comprehensive overview of recent research on bioceramics and related biocomposites for several TE purposes are herein presented. Bioceramics and biocomposites comprising bioinert, bioactive and bioresorbable ceramics, and natural and synthetic biodegradable polymers for scaffolds processing, and respective properties are demonstrated. Interest is given to advanced manufacturing as an emergent technology for complex personalized structures fabrication. Commercial bioceramics and biocomposites available for biomedical use are also summarized.

Bioactive glasses (BGs) and related glass-ceramic biomaterials have been used in bone tissue repair for over 30 years. Previous work in this field was comprehensively reviewed including by their inventor Larry Hench, and the key features and properties of BGs are well understood. More recently, attention has focused on their modification to further enhance the osteogenic behaviour, or further compositional changes that may introduce additional properties such as antimicrobial activity. Evidence is emerging that BGs and related glass-ceramics may be modified in such a way as to simultaneously introduce more than one desirable property. The aim of this review is therefore to consider the evidence that these more recent inorganic modifications to glass and glass-ceramic biomaterials are effective, and whether or not these new compositions represent sufficiently versatile systems to underpin the development of a new generation of truly multifunctional biomaterials to address pressing clinical needs in orthopaedic and dental surgery. Indeed, a number of classical glass compositions exhibited antimicrobial activity, however the structural design and the addition of specific ions, i.e. Ag+, Cu+, and Sr2+, are able to impart a multifunctional character to these systems, through the combination of, for example, bioactivity with bactericidal activity.

O osso de choco tem dois componentes principais, o escudo dorsal e matriz lamelar, sendo que esta última é constituída essencialmente por aragonite. A aragonite pode ser convertida hidrotermalmente em fosfatos de cálcio. Os fosfatos de cálcio são utilizados como materiais de enxerto ósseo ou adicionados a materiais dentários, por apresentarem semelhança química com a fase mineral do osso natural e da estrutura dentária. O osso de choco associado a biovidros favorece as respostas biológicas e aumenta a resistência deste material. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar as propriedades antimicrobianas e citotóxicas de osso de choco associado a biovidros, de forma a selecionar o material de medicação intra-canalar com maior potencial de aplicação em endodontia. Protocolos de viabilidade celular e propriedades antimicrobianas contra Candida albicans, foram elaborados e testados. Foi percetível uma inibição do crescimento de C. albicans eficaz para a associação osso de choco e biovidros. Tanto o osso de choco como biovidros registam valores de viabilidade superiores a 70%. A aplicação deste tipo de material é promissora na área da endodontia, e por isso, é necessário aprimorar as propriedades antibacterianas, tendo como opção a incorporação de iões e a realização de ensaios para Enterococcus faecalis.