Holmium-doped 58S glass-derived foam-like scaffolds

Abstract

Biocompatible implantable glasses doped with rare earth elements (e.g. holmium) are regarded as promising biomaterials for advanced medical therapies. In this work, Ho-containing scaffolds based on the 58S sol–gel glass composition were fabricated for the first time through sponge replication followed by sinter-crystallization, which was associated to the formation of CaSiO3. The obtained materials exhibited high porosity (86 vol%), trabecular pore-strut 3D architecture and compressive strength (around 1 MPa) comparable to that of osseous tissue, making them promising candidates for use in bone applications.