Hydroxyapatite Particle Size Research Articles

The effect of hydroxyapatite particle size on viscoelastic properties and calcium release from a thermosensitive triblock copolymer

Well-defined “smart” injectable hydrogel based on hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hydrophobic poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLA/PGA) copolymer (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) gelling at the body temperature was modified by bioactive hydroxyapatite (HAp) in the form of micro-, nano-, and core-shell particles (μ-HAp, n-HAp, and CS-x, respectively) to be applicable as calcium delivery system in bone regeneration. Viscoelastic moduli increased with HAp content as expected. Whereas systems containing μ-HAp or CS-x particles maintained two sol-gel and gel-sol phase transitions, the n-HAp containing system showed only one sol-gel phase transition due to the strong interactions between polymer chain and the n-HAp surface. In vitro, studies proved the controlled uniform release of calcium cations from both CS-x and n-HAp over the 9-day period without any initial burst release.

Hydroxyapatite–alendronate composite systems for biocompatible materials

In this study, hydroxyapatite–alendronate composites were synthesized from calcium nitrate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate and alendronate by chemical precipitation method. The obtained materials were analysed by physical–chemical methods, while the compositional and structural characteristics of hydroxyapatite–alendronate phases were determined by a combination of crystallographic, spectroscopic and thermal analysis investigations; moreover, the alendronate content, its maximal incorporation efficiency to hydroxyapatite and stability were determined. A two-level full factorial design was chosen to determine the optimum set of process parameters (synthesis temperature, reactant addition rate and ripening time) and their effects on various hydroxyapatite–alendronate characteristics: alendronate incorporation efficiency, hydroxyapatite crystallite size (XRD), hydroxyapatite particle size distribution (DLS). These effects were quantified using design of experiments. The in vitro release profile of alendronate from hydroxyapatite–alendronate tablets was assessed.

Mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of powder metallurgy iron-hydroxyapatite composites for biodegradable implant applications

Nine Fe–HA composites were fabricated via powder metallurgy method by varying the amount (2.5, 5, 10wt%) and particle size (<1μm, 1–10μm, 100–200μm) of hydroxyapatite (HA) as a bioactive phase in the iron (Fe) matrix. X-ray diffraction did not detect any phase changes in HA after the sintering process. Uniaxial tensile tests measured the strengths of the composites. Polarization and immersion tests estimated the corrosion rates (CR). Yield strength, tensile strength, and ductility of the composites decreased with increasing HA content and decreasing HA particle size, whereas their corrosion rates increased. The strongest composite was Fe–2.5wt% HA (100–200μm) with σy=81.7MPa, σu=130.1MPa, fracture strain of 4.87%, and CR=0.23mmpy. The weakest composite was Fe–10wt% HA (<1μm) which did not exhibit plastic deformation, fractured at σu=16.1MPa with 0.11% strain, and showed the highest CR of 1.07mmpy. This study demonstrates how the relative particle size between Fe and HA determines the mechanical and corrosion properties of Fe–HA composites, thereby aiding in enhancing future resorbable implant designs. The model can also be used when designing other bioactive composites (i.e. Ti–HA, Mg–HA) via powder metallurgy.

Characteristics and in vitro response of thin hydroxyapatite-titania films produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation of Ti alloys in electrolytes with particle additions.

The enhancement of the biological properties of Ti by surface doping with hydroxyapatite (HA) is of great significance, especially for orthodontic applications. This study addressed the effects of HA particle size in the electrolyte suspension on the characteristics and biological properties of thin titania-based coatings produced on Ti-6Al-4V alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). Detailed morphological investigation of the coatings formed by a single-stage PEO process with two-step control of the electrical parameters was performed using the Minkowski functionals approach. The surface chemistry was studied by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, whereas mechanical properties were evaluated using scratch tests. The biological assessment included in vitro evaluation of the coating bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF) as well as studies of spreading, proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. The results demonstrated that both HA micro- and nanoparticles were successfully incorporated in the coatings but had different effects on their surface morphology and elemental distributions. The micro-particles formed an irregular surface morphology featuring interpenetrated networks of fine pores and coating material, whereas the nanoparticles penetrated deeper into the coating matrix which retained major morphological features of the porous TiO2 coating. All coatings suffered cohesive failure in scratch tests, but no adhesive failure was observed; moreover doping with HA increased the coating scratch resistance. In vitro tests in SBF revealed enhanced bioactivity of both HA-doped PEO coatings; furthermore, the cell proliferation/morphometric tests showed their good biocompatibility. Fluorescence microscopy revealed a well-organised actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions in MC3T3-E1 cells cultivated on these substrates. The cell alkaline phosphatase activity in the presence of ascorbic acid and β-glycerophosphate was significantly increased, especially in HA nanoparticle-doped coatings.

Interfacial diffusion reaction and mechanical characterization of 316L stainless steel-hydroxyapatite functionally graded materials for joint prostheses

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) of 316L stainless steel (316L) matrix with the reinforcement of hydroxyapatite (HA) were fabricated successfully by a pressureless sintering technique for bioimplants. Hydroxyapatite content was varied among the layers of FGMs up to 20wt% with 5wt% gradient. Two types of FGMs were prepared with the same composition in the discrete layers. However, micro- and nano-sized hydroxyapatite was used to reinforce the 316L matrix in two different FGMs under similar conditions of compaction and sintering. FGMs with nano-sized HA (nHA) exhibited better densification than the FGMs prepared with micro-sized HA (mHA). The interdiffusion of chromium along the 316L and HA interface was observed, which improved the interfacial bonding and the FGMs properties. The hardness increased due to strong interfacial boundary for second layer, then due to dominant factor of porosity hardness decreased for succeeding layers of FGMs. Potentiodynamic polarization analysis of both FGMs are also presented and discussed in response to the particle size of HA and interfacial phase produced.

Controlled Preparation and Formation Mechanism of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles under Different Hydrothermal Conditions

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles with uniform morphologies and controllable size were synthesized successfully by molecular template hydrothermal approach. The organic alcohols including ethanol, glycol, glycerol and butanol were used as templates to regulate the nucleation and crystal growth. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier infrared spectrum and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the obtained HAP particles were uniform rod-like crystals, and the template molecular structures had significant effect on the morphology and size of HAP particles. The template molecules with longer hydrophobic groups resulted in longer particle length and larger aspect ratio. Compared with the concentration of template molecules, the template molecular structure showed larger influence on controlling the HAP morphology and size. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of these rod-like HAP particles prepared by alkyl alcohol templates was discussed. Moreover, hydrothermal treatment temperature and time could be also used for controlled preparation of HAP nanoparticles.

Effect of precursor concentration and spray pyrolysis temperature upon hydroxyapatite particle size and density.

In the synthesis of hydroxyapatite powders by spray pyrolysis, control of the particle size was investigated by varying the initial concentration of the precursor solution and the pyrolysis temperature. Calcium phosphate solutions (Ca/P ratio of 1.67) with a range of concentrations from 0.1 to 2.0 mol/L were prepared by dissolving calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate in deionized water and subsequently adding nitric acid. Hydroxyapatite powders were then synthesized by spray pyrolysis at 900°C and at 1500°C, using these calcium phosphate precursor solutions, under the fixed carrier gas flow rate of 10 L/min. The particle size decreased as the precursor concentration decreased and the spray pyrolysis temperature increased. Sinterability tests conducted at 1100°C for 1 h showed that the smaller and denser the particles were, the higher the relative densities were of sintered hydroxyapatite disks formed from these particles. The practical implication of these results is that highly sinterable small and dense hydroxyapatite particles can be synthesized by means of spray pyrolysis using a low-concentration precursor solution and a high pyrolysis temperature under a fixed carrier gas flow rate.

Alginate-Intervened Hydrothermal Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystals with Nanopores

This study reports the preparation of dispersive hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals with nanopores based on hydrothermal reactions of Ca- and phosphate-containing aqueous solutions in the presence of alginate. Compared with the conventional hydrothermal HA nanocrystals, very fine rodlike HA nanocrystals were obtained; e.g., the average measures were 13 nm for diameter and 34 nm for length when the nanocrystals were hydrothermally synthesized in the presence of 1.6 wt % alginate. Systematic X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolutuion TEM, and Brunauer–Emmer–Teller results indicate that alginate-intervened hydrothermal synthesis caused alginate concentration-dependent effects on HA crystallization, agglomeration, particle size, and nanopore formation. In contrast to the generally mentioned roles of polymers as growth modifiers, alginate as well as its depolymerized products under hydrothermal conditions was found to exert synergic and enhanced modulating effects on the preparation of dispersive HA rodlike nanoparticles with numerous nanopores. These HA nanocrystals are promising for applications for various biomedical purposes.

상온 분사법에 의한 수산화아파타이트 코팅 지르코니아의 제조 및 미세구조에 미치는 열처리 효과

Abstract Hydroxyapatite coatings were fabricated by a room temperature spray method on zirconia substratesand the influence of heat-treatment on their microstructure was also investigated. Phase composition of coatedhydroxyapatite films was similar to the starting powder, but the grain size of hydroxyapatite particles was reducedto the size of nano-scale about 100 nm. Grain size, particle compactness, and adhesiveness to zirconia ofhydroxyapatite coatings were increased with heat-treatment temperature, but some of cracks by heat-treatmentabove 1100 o C were initiated between hydroxyapatite coatings and zirconia substrate. Heat-treated hydroxyapa-tite layers show the dissolution in SBF solution for 5 days. Hydroxyapatite-coated specimen heat-treated at1100 o C for 1 h has a good biocompatibility, which specimen induced the nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite precipi-tates on the coating surface by the immersion in SBF solution for 5 days. (Received December 26, 2014; Revised December 31, 2014; Accepted January 6, 2015)Key words : Hydroxyapatite coating, Room temperature spray, Zirconia, Heat-treatment

Reduced graphene oxide-coated hydroxyapatite composites stimulate spontaneous osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have great potential as cell sources for bone tissue engineering and regeneration, but the control and induction of their specific differentiation into bone cells remain challenging. Graphene-based nanomaterials are considered attractive candidates for biomedical applications such as scaffolds in tissue engineering, substrates for SC differentiation and components of implantable devices, due to their biocompatible and bioactive properties. Despite the potential biomedical applications of graphene and its derivatives, only limited information is available regarding their osteogenic activity. This study concentrates upon the effects of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-coated hydroxyapatite (HAp) composites on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. The average particle sizes of HAp and rGO were 1270 ± 476 nm and 438 ± 180 nm, respectively. When coated on HAp particulates, rGO synergistically enhanced spontaneous osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs, without hampering their proliferation. This result was confirmed by determining alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization of calcium and phosphate as early and late stage markers of osteogenic differentiation. It is suggested that rGO-coated HAp composites can be effectively utilized as dental and orthopedic bone fillers since these graphene-based particulate materials have potent effects on stimulating the spontaneous differentiation of MSCs and show superior bioactivity and osteoinductive potential.

Effect of hydroxyapatite particles on the rheological behavior of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) thermosensitive hydrogels

Thermosensitive composite hydrogels incorporated with particles have been considered as next-generation biomaterials for numerous applications. However, experimental results reported in literature are not yet completely free of controversy with regard to how the particle filler affects the rheological behaviors of the resulting hydrogels. In this study, a simple method was developed to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HA) particles with definable morphology (rod and sheet) using hydrothermal process. The size of HA particles, ranging from 46 to 1149 nm, could be tailored by utilizing a sodium oleate surfactant. These HA particles introduced into thermosensitive hydrogels of poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether-block-poly (lactide-co-glycolide) to systematically investigate the particle effect on the rheological behaviors of resulting HA-hydrogels. Experimental data confirm the mechanical and rheological behaviors of resulting HA-hydrogels were significantly influenced by particle morphology (size and shape) and the surfactant on the surface of the particle. These results act as solid evidences to highlight the crucial role of particles for developing composite hydrogels with desire thermosensitivity and mechanical properties for use in bioengineering applications.

The effect of ethyl-lactate and ethyl-acetate plasticizers on PCL and PCL–HA composites foamed with supercritical CO2

The present study reports foaming of polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL nano- and micro-composites with dispersed hydroxyapatite (HA) particles by means of binary mixtures of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) and either ethyl lactate (EL) or ethyl acetate (EA) as plasticizer. The effect of the size and concentration of HA particles, as well as the effects of the plasticizer type and the incorporation route were investigated aiming to fabricate porous scaffolds with uniform morphology and controlled pore size distribution. For this purpose, foaming experiments were carried out by selecting two operating temperatures, 40 and 45°C, and two soaking times, 1 and 17h. Furthermore, a double step of depressurization was used to promote the development of a double-scale pore size structure in porous scaffolds useful for tissue engineering.The results of this study indicated that supercritical foaming of PCL and PCL–HA composites is enhanced when the selected operating temperature and time are 45°C and 17h, respectively. Furthermore, although both EL and EA plasticizers enhanced the low temperature foaming of the materials, we demonstrated that the route of incorporation of the plasticizer is a critical aspect for enhancing composite foaming and scaffold fabrication. From this point of view, the best results were achieved when EA was pre-mixed with the polymeric powder for preparing a dough for the foaming process.

Characterization of Ti-HA composite fabricated by mechanical alloying

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys possess suitable mechanical characteristics for utilization in orthopedic implants. However, their poor integrity with native tissues is a major challenge in their clinical application. Composite structures of Ti and hydroxyapatite (HA) can be used to promote the bone ingrowth and integration of the implant with the surrounding tissue. Here, we report the fabrication of Ti-HA nanocomposite powders using a high energy planetary ball mill. We investigate the effects of fabrication parameters including HA content (10–30% w/w), milling time (20 and 50h), and HA particle size (50nm and 15μm) on the characteristics of the fabricated composites. In particular, we determine the samples hardness, sintering density, surface roughness and topography for different conditions. The results show that the addition of HA to Ti decreases the sintering density and enhances the surface hardness. Also, we observe a direct relationship between HA concentration in the Ti matrix and the surface roughness.

The anti-tumor effect of p53 gene-loaded hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo

This research focused on anti-tumor effect of pEGFP-C1-p53 (p53) gene-loaded hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo. Four kinds of HAp nanoparticles, spherical HAp nanoparticles (S-HAp, diameter: 50 nm), needle-like HAp nanoparticles (N-HAp, average length: 110 nm and width: 30 nm), rod-like HAp nanoparticles (R-HAp, average length: 100 nm and width: 30 nm), and short-rod-like HAp nanoparticles (SR-HAp, average length: 40 nm and width: 30 nm), were prepared initially. The HAp nanoparticles with or without being modified by PEI (named HAp and HAp-PEI, respectively) have excellent biocompatibility as shown by MTT assay and crystal violet staining tests. Then, the subsequent MTT, Hocehst staining tests, and Western blot showed that the killing effect of p53-loaded HAp-PEI (HAp-PEI-p53) was effective with fair selectivity toward Hep-3B and HuH-7 cells’ cell lines. Moreover, HAp-PEI-p53 could inhibit the tumor growth in vivo, and the mechanism of tumor growth inhibition was verified by the hematoxylin and eosin staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling, P53 protein immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscope of the tumor cell in vivo. We found that HAp-PEI-p53 has good anti-cancer effect in vitro and in vivo, especially for the S-HAp-PEI-p53. Tumor metastasis could be suppressed significantly by the S-HAp-PEI-p53 and N-HAp-PEI-p53 treatments by the in vivo imaging system. All these results lead to the conclusion that the particle sizes of HAp ranging from 100 to 200 nm are appropriate for cancer gene therapy and may be widely used in anti-cancer investigation.

Effect of hydroxyapatite particle size, morphology and crystallinity on proliferation of colon cancer HCT116 cells

The aim of the present work is to chemically and physically characterize the synthesized Hydroxyapatite (HAp) micro and nanoparticles and to explore the inhibitory effect of nano-HAps on the in vitro growth of human colon cancerous cells HCT116. HAp powder was synthesized using three different routes to achieve micro and nanosized powders, with different morphologies and crystallinity. The synthesized powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the average crystallite size of HAp powder varies from 11nm to 177nm and respective crystallinity of powder found to be in the range of 0.12 and 0.92. The effect of these physico-chemical properties of HAp powders on human colon cancer HCT116 cells inhibition was determined in vitro. It was found that decreasing the HAp powder crystallite size between 11nm and 22nm significantly increases the HCT116 cell inhibition. Our results demonstrate that apart from HAp powder size their crystallinity and morphology also play an important role in cellular inhibition of human colon cancer cells.

Thermoplastic polyurethane/hydroxyapatite electrospun scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: Effects of polymer properties and particle size

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds were fabricated via electrospinning. The effects of TPU properties and HA particle size on scaffold physical properties and osteoblast-like cell performance were investigated. It was found that the addition of micro-HA (mHA), which was inlayed in the fiber, decreased the electrospun fiber diameter. On the contrary, nano-HA (nHA), which was either embedded or existed inside of the fiber, increased the fiber diameter for both soft and hard TPUs. The soft TPU had a much lower Young's modulus and higher strain-at-break than the hard TPU. The addition of both mHA and nHA decreased the tensile properties; this decrease was more significant with mHA. The cells on the hard scaffolds actively proliferated and migrated compared to those on the soft scaffolds. On the other hand, cells on the soft scaffolds more effectively induced osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) than those on the hard scaffolds. In addition, our data suggest that the soft scaffolds with supplementation of nHA further enhanced osteogenesis of hMSCs compared to those without nHA. The soft TPU scaffolds containing nano-HA have the potential to be used in bone tissue engineering applications.

The Research of Nanoparticle and Microparticle Hydroxyapatite Amendment in Multiple Heavy Metals Contaminated Soil Remediation

It was believed that when hydroxyapatite (HAP) was used to remediate heavy metal‐contaminated soils, its effectiveness seemed likely to be affected by its particle size. In this study, a pot trial was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of two particle sizes of HAP: nanometer particle size of HAP (nHAP) and micrometer particle size of HAP (mHAP) induced metal immobilization in soils. Both mHAP and nHAP were assessed for their ability to reduce lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cr) bioavailability in an artificially metal‐contaminated soil. The pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) uptake and soil sequential extraction method were used to determine the immobilization and bioavailability of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr. The results indicated that both mHAP and nHAP had significant effect on reducing the uptake of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr by pakchoi. Furthermore, both mHAP and nHAP were efficient in covering Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr from nonresidual into residual forms. However, mHAP was superior to nHAP in immobilization of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr in metal‐contaminated soil and reducing the Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr utilized by pakchoi. The results suggested that mHAP had the better effect on remediation multiple metal‐contaminated soils than nHAP and was more suitable for applying in in situ remediation technology.

Morphology, mechanical properties, and mineralization of rigid thermoplastic polyurethane/hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone tissue applications: effects of fabrication approaches and hydroxyapatite size

Rigid thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds were prepared with micro HA (mHA) and nano HA (nHA) particles, respectively, via the thermally induced phase separation method. The effects of solvent and co-solvent, addition of sodium chloride (NaCl) porogen, and HA particle size were studied together with the morphology, compressive properties, and mineralization behavior of the scaffolds. Depending on the solvent, co-solvent, or porogen used, different porous structures were produced. In particular, a ladder-like morphology was obtained when dioxane (Di) was used as the solvent, whereas an interconnected porous structure was obtained by using dioxane and deionized water (DiW) as co-solvents. Rectangular pores with interconnected channels on the pore walls were achieved by using NaCl crystals as porogens. The TPU/nHA scaffolds showed stronger compressive properties than the TPU/mHA scaffolds and the pure TPU scaffolds. The scaffolds prepared using dioxane and water as co-solvents exhibit the greatest compressive modulus. Furthermore, TPU scaffolds with nHA particles had the ability to form bone apatite when soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF). After being soaked in SBF for 3 weeks, the weight percentage of formed apatite in the TPU/nHA-DiW scaffold was 9.2 %wt of the initial TPU content. Preliminary cytotoxicity tests were conducted using NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. The high survival rate of these cells and the mineralization behavior suggest biocompatibility and high potential of these composites being used in bone tissue engineering applications.

The effect of pH and the process of direct or inverse synthesis of silicon-Substituted hydroxyapatite prepared by hydrolysis in aqueous medium

Nanosized hydroxyapatite with silicon substitution Ca10(PO4)6−x(SiO4)x(OH)2−x□x (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) of same silicon concentrations, variation of pH and the method of inverse and direct synthesis were successfully prepared first time by the theoretical maximum of incorporation of Si into the hexagonal apatite structure by precipitation method aqueous. The effects of the Si substitution on crystallite size, particle size and morphology of the powders were investigated. The crystalline phase, microstructure, morphology and particle size of hydroxyapatite and silicon substituted hydroxyapatites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDX coupled with SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The samples were successfully synthesized as a single-phase apatite, and crystallization of apatite was enhanced during heating. The results obtained in this study show that the kinetics between different direct and inverse process showed different reactivities, in the presence of varying pH. Compared with the two methods, the inverse method have higher kinetic in the formation of hydroxyapatite silicate because of the difference in lattice parameters. The grain size of Si-HA samples is clearly finer than that of pure HA sample and this decreases with increasing Si content. The growth of HA nanorods with temperature can be described by “oriented attachment”. According to this theory the adjacent HA crystallites would coalesce in one particular direction on the (1 1 0) high energy planes, creating templates to form elongated rod-like structure. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis reveals, the silicon incorporation to hydroxyapatite lattice occurs via substitution of silicate groups for phosphate groups. Substitution of phosphate group by silicate in the apatite structure results in a increase in the lattice parameters in both a-axis and c-axis of the unit cell.

Biomimetic nanocomposites of carboxymethyl cellulose–hydroxyapatite: Novel three dimensional load bearing bone grafts

An innovative biomimetic synthesis of novel three dimensional micro/macro porous carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)–hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocomposites having four systematically different compositions has been established for its possible application as a load bearing synthetic bone graft. Our process, being in situ, involves a simple and cost effective route akin to a matrix mediated biomineralization process. Developed synthesis route not only controls the size of HA particles in the range of 15–50nm, embedded in CMC matrix, but also assists in the formation of a mechanically strong three dimensional nanocomposite structures due to physical cross linking of HA impregnated CMC matrix. The process does not involve any toxic cross linker and works at near ambient conditions. The nanocomposites are systematically structurally and mechanically characterized using various techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform IR (FTIR), solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Universal mechanical test. It reveals that the ionic/polar or electrostatic interactions are the main driving force for formation of load bearing three dimensional nanocomposites via a process similar to matrix mediated biomineralization. Compressive strength and compressive modulus of nanocomposites, being in the range of 1.74–12MPa and 157–330MPa, respectively, meet the desired range of compressive strength for the synthetic grafts used in cancellous bone. An increase in the compressive strength with increase in the porosity has been an interesting observation in the present study. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized nanocomposites has been evaluated using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) isolated from Wistar rat.