title: Development and characterisation of silver-doped bioactive glass-coated sutures for tissue engineering and wound healing applications.
abstract: A novel silver-doped bioactive glass powder (AgBG) was used to coat resorbable Vicryl (polyglactin 910) and non-resorbable Mersilk surgical sutures, thereby imparting bioactive, antimicrobial and bactericidal properties to the sutures. Stable and homogeneous coatings on the surface of the sutures were achieved using an optimised aqueous slurry-dipping technique. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to investigate the viscoelastic parameters of storage modulus and tandelta and thermal transitions of the as-received and composite (coated) sutures. The results generally showed that the bioactive glass coating did not affect the dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of the sutures. The in vitro bioactivity of the sutures was tested by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). After only 3 days of immersion in SBF, bonelike hydroxyapatite formed on the coated suture surfaces, indicating their enhanced bioactive behaviour. Resorbable sutures with bioactive coatings as fabricated here, in conjunction with 3-D textile technology, may provide attractive materials for producing 3-D scaffolds with controlled porosities for tissue engineering applications. The bactericidal properties imparted by the Ag-containing glass coating open also new opportunities for use of the composite sutures in wound healing and body wall repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Centre for Composite Materials, Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Blaker
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Nazhat
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Boccaccini
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D017886:Durapatite / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004548:Elasticity; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D011098:Polyglactin 910 / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013537:Sutures; D013696:Temperature; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014783:Viscosity; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D012834:Silver; D017886:Durapatite