Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Several kinds of hydroxyapatite has been applied in clinics as bone substitute, pathologic fracture often occurs in bone formation process for lack of interconnection hole.
OBJECTIVE: To prepare the porous interconnected hydroxyapatite ceramic scaffold materials by modified technique, and to determine the physical-chemical characteristics of the materials.
METHODS: Interconnected porous hydroxyapatite ceramics were prepared by mixing hydroxyapatite (60% volume fraction) and polymine (40% volume fraction) using modified foam-gel technic (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether 1% volume fraction). The inner structural characteristic of the material were detected by scanning electron microscopy. The prepared material was transplanted into the bone defect zone, and the new bone formation was observed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The interconnected porous hydroxyapatite ceramics have three-dimensional structure, it is full of uniform pores (150 μm in diameter, 75% porosity). It is also filled with interconnective holes (40 μm in diameter) at the wall of pores and has enough compressive strength (10-12 MPa). Animal experiment showed Interconnected porous hydroxyapatite ceramics have excellent bone inductivity, new forming bone forms in the pores. Improved hydroxyapatite ceramics may be applied in the bone tissue engineering and may become new substitute.