title: Macroporous bioactive glass-ceramic scaffolds for tissue engineering.
abstract: Highly bioactive scaffolds for tissue engineering were synthesized using a glass belonging to the SiO2-CaO-K2O (SCK) system. The glass SCK was prepared by a traditional melting-quenching route and its bioactivity was assessed by in vitro tests in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The glass was ground and sieved to obtain powders of specific size that were subsequently mixed with polyethylene particles of two different dimensions. The powders were then uniaxially pressed to obtain a crack free green compact that was thermally treated to remove the organic component and to sinter the inorganic phase. The obtained biomaterial was characterised by means of X-ray Diffraction, SEM equipped with EDS, mercury intrusion porosimetry, density measurements, image analysis, mechanical tests and in vitro evaluations. A glass-ceramic macroporous scaffold with a homogenously distributed and highly interconnected porosity was obtained. The amount and size of the introduced porosity could be tailored using various amounts of polyethylene powders of different size.
authors.affiliation: Politecnico di Torino, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Department, Inorganic Composites and Advanced Ceramics, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24-I, 10129, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: C Vitale
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Brovarone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verné
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Appendino
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D002516:Ceramics; D005898:Glass; D010087:Oxides; D016062:Porosity; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D010087:Oxides; D017680:Potassium Compounds; C068440:potassium oxide; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C023506:Glass ceramics; C016538:lime