We have introduced nanoporous silica as a novel biomaterial. Nanoporous silica is non-toxic and biocompatible. It provides a high surface area and pore volume, uniform and tunable pore sizes and the possibility for chemical modification. We have shown that nanoporous silica coatings on middle ear prostheses provide a suitable basis for installing various functionalizations which can improve the healing after the insertion of the implant.DF
