A guided walk through Larry Hench’s monumental discoveries

Here we review and summarize the groundbreaking scientific researches of the late Professor Larry L. Hench, including several of his key discoveries in materials science and engineering. First, we provide a statistical overview of his exceptional scientific performance using Scopus, Web of Science, and other Web sites to extract statistical data on his scientific publications and patents. Professor Hench achieved an exceptionally high h-index of 77 (Scopus) for the field of materials science and engineering, which resulted from his 340 research papers, 210 conference papers, 41 patents, 24 books, 4 editorial notes, and 3 biographies starting in 1967. Then, we summarize and highlight his seminal articles, books, and patents in several research areas, such as bioactive glasses, optical gel glasses, biocomposites/coatings, glass–ceramics, biophotonics, advanced ceramics, semiconducting and ionic conducting glasses, glass corrosion, and nuclear waste disposal. Prof. Hench not only discovered the first man-made material to form a chemical bond with bone and initiated a whole new field—bioactive glasses and glass–ceramics—but also made several other important scientific discoveries. It is quite clear that he was one of the most influential materials scientists/engineers of all time! We hope that this review is not only useful for all persons interested in materials science and engineering but also encourages students and younger investigators to make use of this accumulated knowledge to design novel materials and discover new applications for glasses and ceramics.