Abstract
Various kinds of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds have been designed to mimic the biological spontaneous bone formation characteristics by providing a suitable microenvironment for osteogenesis. In view of this, a natural bone-liked composite scaffold, which was combined with inorganic (hydroxyapatite, Hap) and organic (type I collagen, Col) phases, has been developed through a self-assembly process. This 3D porous scaffold consisting of a c-axis of Hap nanocrystals (nHap) aligning along Col fibrils arrangement is similar to natural bone architecture. A significant increase in mechanical strength and elastic modulus of nHap/Col scaffold is achieved through biomimetic mineralization process when compared with simple mixture of collagen and hydroxyapatite method. It is suggested that the self-organization of Hap and Col produced in vivo could also be achieved in vitro. The oriented nHap/Col composite not only possesses bone-like microstructure and adequate mechanical properties but also enhances the regeneration and reorganization abilities of bone tissue. These results demonstrated that biomimetic nHap/Col can be successfully reconstructed as a bone graft substitute in bone tissue engineering.
Highlights
Bone defects and nonunions often occur in clinical orthopedics, while their treatments are more intractable than fractures
Purities, fabrication and formulation parameters, calcium phosphates can exist in various compound categories [18]
We have investigated the potential for self-assembled mineralization of nHap/Col composite scaffolds as well as the improvement of mechanical properties and osteogenesis to enhance the in vitro formation of bone-like tissues
Summary
Bone defects and nonunions often occur in clinical orthopedics, while their treatments are more intractable than fractures. Small bone fractures are capable of self-healing after trauma, massive bone defects or diseased tissues (i.e., osteoporosis, comminuted fracture, osteocarcinoma) still fail to heal properly. Regeneration of damaged or diseased skeletal tissues with large defects remains a significant challenge in clinical settings. Traditional autografts and allografts are still regarded as the “gold standard” treatment which could accelerate the bone regeneration process. The limited quantity of graft sources and the potential risk of infection or loss of function are still major concerns, resulting in restrictions for the treatment strategy.
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