Effects of addition of PVA, Mg and Zn to HAp on biocompatibility for hard tissue implants

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a well-known biomaterial due to its bioactivity, osteoconductivity and biocompatibility. The present research aims to study the effects of addition of a polymer and two different ions in the HAp matrix to make it a better participant to function as an orthopaedic implant. The polymer taken for the study is polyvinyl alcohol and ions taken was magnesium (Mg2+) and zinc (Zn2+) ions. The synthesis of Pure HAp and composite fabricated HAp was performed using ethanol-based Sol-gel method. The X-Ray diffractions studies showed that composite fabricated showed slight increase in the crystallite size than Pure HAp with a value of 39.7363 nm. Moreover, both the lattice parameters ‘a’ and ‘c’ showed an increase with values of 9.41 (Å) and 6.92 (Å) respectively. The corrosion rate as calculated from the Tafel plot was found to be lower for composite sample in comparison to pure HAp with a value of 3.95 mmpy. Lower pore size and lower pore volume was exhibited by the composite sample as calculated from BET studies. The composite samples exhibited good antimicrobial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria.The composite fabricated samples could be a potential participant to function as a future hard tissue implant.