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Larry L. Hench (1938–2015) was a materials scientist known for developing bioactive glass: a biomaterial designed to form a bond with living bone. The National Academy of Engineering memorial records his name, dates and contribution to bioactive glasses and glass corrosion.^[ref]

His own account explains the key experimental observation: early glass specimens implanted in rat femurs became bonded to bone. The scientific question was how the solid’s composition and its reactions with body fluid could create that interface. The proposed mechanism involved dissolution and formation of a mineral-rich surface layer, followed by biological attachment.^[ref] The earlier joint paper compared solubility and interfacial hydroxyapatite crystallization studies with implant histology and ultrastructure.^[ref]

This work changed the design question from simply finding a strong solid to understanding a solid–tissue system. A bond at the interface and sufficient bulk strength are distinct properties: a strong implant can still detach at its surface, while a bonded but weak material can fail internally. Testing where a loaded specimen separates helps distinguish these possibilities. That distinction connects Hench’s experimental approach to biocompatibility, biomechanics and tissue engineering.