title: In vitro apatite formation and its growth kinetics on hydroxyapatite/polyetheretherketone biocomposites.
abstract: The formation of biologically equivalent carbonate-containing apatite on the surface of synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) is an important step leading to good bone healing. In this study, HA-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites were prepared by homogeneous mixing of HA and PEEK powders, compaction, and pressureless sintering. The bioactivity of HA/PEEK composite with 10, 20, 30 and 40 vol% HA was evaluated by immersing the composite disks in the simulated body fluid (SBF) for up to 4 weeks. The surface of composite with 40 vol% HA was covered by a layer of bone-like apatite just after 3 days of immersion, while 10 vol% HA was covered only after 28 days. This apatite layer was characterized by SEM, thin film X-ray diffractometer, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR)/FTIR. Introducing a concept called apatite-forming capacity of SBF, growth kinetics of the apatite layer on the surface of the composite disks was carried out. The growth rate constant increased with HA volume fraction of the composite, suggesting that the bioactivity of the HA/PEEK composite increases with increasing HA volume fraction in the composite.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Materials Research Center, School of Materials Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shucong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Kithva Prakash
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Hariram
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cheang
authors.forename: Khor Khiam
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Aik
mesh_terms: D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry*; D001577:Benzophenones; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D003461:Crystallography; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D001577:Benzophenones; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D007659:Ketones; D011108:Polymers; C063834:polyetheretherketone; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017886:Durapatite