Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the properties and effect of different biomaterials for the repair of bone defects, and to search a suitable biomaterial for clinical applications.
METHODS: A computer-based online search was performed for articles between January 1995 and January 2010 using the key words of “biological material, bone, bone marrow stromal cells, cytokines, tissue engineering” in Chinese and in English. Articles regarding the biomaterials and tissue engineering bone defects repair were included; duplicated research or Meta analysis were excluded. A total of 22 papers mainly focused on the biomaterials and their properties for restoration of bone defects.
RESULTS: At present, bone tissue engineering scaffolds are divided into two types: one is natural bio-derived materials obtained by a series of physical and chemical processes from natural tissues, such as collagen, coral, bio-derived bone and so on. The other is artificially synthetic materials, mainly includingr bio-ceramic and polymer materials, such as calcium phosphate ceramic, self-cured calcium phosphate, polylactic acid, polyethylene lactone, polyethylene glycol and so on. Currently, a single material, either bio-ceramic or polymer (natural or synthetic), can not meet the requirements of bone tissue repair, and thus composite scaffold attracts much attention, such as nano-hydroxyapatite and collagen, hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite and polylactic acid-glycolic acid compound.
CONCLUSION: The composite scaffolds can ensure sufficient strength and can effectively combine the seed cells with growth factors, thus being conducive to construct tissue engineered bone.