This chapter discusses in detail the design and synthetic strategies of
ceramics for biomedical application, the biocompatibility as well as new emerging
trends towards the application of ceramic materials in the biomedical field. Ceramics
are a promising group of materials having potential applications in various fields such
as engineering, technology, medicine etc. They are inorganic materials and can be
prepared by high temperature as well as low temperature processes. The porosity,
crystallinity, composition etc. are the features which determine the property of ceramics.
These characteristics were tuned to get a desired property at the molecular level for the
intended application by appropriate modification in the synthesis process of ceramics as
well as functionalization with other materials. They could be designed from bulk
materials to nano level materials. They usually fall in the category of bioinert, bioactive
as well as resorbable ceramics. Based on their activity they find application in
biomedical field. In the biomedical field ceramic materials were used as substitute
materials for bone and teeth as well as coatings for metallic implants. Advanced
research is going on in the molecular level modification of ceramic materials for
developing artificial transplantation materials, drug release materials as well as
materials for tissue engineering and gene therapy applications.
Keywords: Artificial implants, biocompatibility, bioglass, ceramics,
calciumphosphate, drug delivery, gene delivery, hydroxyapatite, synthesis of
ceramics, tissue engineering.