Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Hydroxyapatite is recognized as the bone-repair and bone-substitute materials, and the structure of nano-hydroxyapatite is similar to that of the natural bone.
OBJECTIVE: To introduce the preparation methods and characteristics of nano-hydroxyapatite and its compound, and to understand their application in bone defects repair.
METHODS: PubMed database was searched on internet with the key words of “nano-hydroxyapatite, bone defects, bone tissue engineering” in English. Simultaneously, CNKl database was searched with the key words of “nano-hydroxyapatite, bone defects, bone tissue engineering” in Chinese. Articles concerning studies of nano-hydroxyapatite for bone defect repair, research of nano-hydroxyapatite compounded with one or more than two kinds of composite materials for bone defects repair and research of nano-hydroxyapatite in bone tissue engineering were included. Finally 29 articles were selected according the inclusive criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Nano-hydroxyapatite can promote new bone formation, and the number of new bone formation is great, besides, the new bone has good biodegradability and osteoinductivity. Nano-hydroxyapatite can overcome its own fragility and weak mechanicalness through combined with natural or non-natural materials, and accelerate the healing of bone interface. The present study has confirmed the nano-hydroxyapatite play an important role in bone defect repair, and other composite materials will be helpful to the treatment of bone defects. The preparation of specific functional nano bionic and intelligent materials will be the developmental direction of bone tissue repair materials in the future.