Polymer-calcium phosphate (CaP) composites are increasingly considered as materials for bioresorbable bone healing devices. A common feature of most reported materials is the low volume fraction of CaP particles dispersed in a continuous polymer (PLA, PCL) matrix. In such a design, the ceramic particles increase stiffness and improve biocompatibility. The strength, however, is not increased which limits the use of polymer-CaP composites with low ceramic contents to non-load-bearing locations. The inverse approach where a small amount of polymer is added to the largely CaP material can yield stronger composites. Incorporation of antimicrobial drugs into such a CaP-polymer composite implant and their sustained release may significantly reduce the risk of infection. Drugs may be incorporated into CaP-polymer powder prior to densification provided their biological activity is not lost during processing. High pressure consolidation could allow one to achieve high density at low temperatures that are not harmful for biomolecules. The present work demonstrates the possibility of incorporating an antibiotic drug into CaP-polymer composites with high (> 70 vol.%) CaP fractions during high pressure consolidation of powders at room temperature.
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