Preparation of a novel calcium phosphate-coated scaffold for bone tissue engineering

摘要

Calcium phosphates (CaP) have been recognized for decades as bone-bonding biomaterials and have therefore been used either as block implants or coatings. Biodegradable polymers, shaped in 3D foams have generated considerable interest as potential scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. We have recently developed a new method to produce three-dimensional poly (lactide-co-glycolide) 75:25 foams specifically designed for bone tissue engineering and demonstrated cell invasion and tissue formation within the scaffold in vitro. In this study, we have grown CaP crystals by the Surface Induced Mineralization (SIM) technique, on our novel biodegradable foams and implanted these foams, as well as control foams with no coating, in adult Wistar rat femoral defects. The coated and non-coated foams remained in the animals for 6 days. The animals were then sacrificed, the implants removed and observed by SEM. Histological sections were also prepared from the implants and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin. CaP coated and non-coated samples were both filled with tissue throughout their structures, confirming the usefulness of these foams for tissue engineering applications. Interdigitation of bone matrix with the CaP coating indicated that the modified scaffold surface was bone-bonding.