Fabrication and morphological characterization of glass-ceramic orbital implants

Porous glass-ceramics were produced by sponge replication for possible use as orbital implant materials, characterized from a morphological viewpoint, and compared to commonly used devices. Favorable characteristics of these new materials for ocular applications include total porosity above 50 vol.%, presence of open and large macropores (>200 m) that could potentially allow fibrovascular tissue ingrowth, and submicronic surface roughness which is significantly lower than that of commercial gold standard alumina implants. The last feature is key to limit the risk of postoperative conjunctival abrasion and to achieve clinical success. Therefore, these glass-ceramic porous materials are highly promising alternatives to existing ceramic orbital implants.