title: A composite material model for improved bone formation.
abstract: The combination of synthetic polymers and calcium phosphates represent an improvement in the development of scaffolds for bone-tissue regeneration. Ideally, these composites provide both mechanically and architecturally enhanced performances; however, they often lack properties such as osteoconductivity and cell bioactivation. In this study we attempted to generate a composite bone substitute maximizing the available osteoconductive surface for cell adhesion and activity. Highly porous scaffolds were prepared through a particulate leaching method, combining poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and hydroxyapatite (HA) particles, previously coated with a sucrose layer, to minimize their embedding by the polymer solution. Composite performances were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. In PCL-sucrose-coated HA samples, the HA particles were almost completely exposed and physically distinct from the polymer mesh, while uncoated control samples showed ceramic granules massively covered by the polymer. In vivo results revealed a significant extent of bone deposition around all sucrose-coated HA granules, while only parts of the control uncoated HA granules were surrounded by bone matrix. These findings highlight the possibility of generating enhanced osteoconductive materials, basing the scaffold design on physiological and cellular concepts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Informatics, Systemistics and Telematics (DIST), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. silvia.scaglione@unige.it
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ilengo
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quarto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D012756:Sheep; D013395:Sucrose / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D013395:Sucrose; D017886:Durapatite