In order to improve the bioactivity and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite (HAp), chitosan (Chi) was in situ combined into HAp to fabricate a composite scaffold by a sublimation-assisted compression method. A highly porous film with sufficient mechanical strength was prepared and the bioactivity was investigated by examining the apatite formed on the scaffolds incubated in simulated body fluid. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the HAp/Chi composite was studied by evaluating the viability of murine fibroblasts (L-929 cells) exposed to diluted extracts of the composite films. The apatite layer was assessed using scanning electronic microscopy, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry and weight measurement. Composite analysis showed that a layer of micro-sized, needle-like crystals was formed on the surface of the composite film. Additionally, the WST-8 assay after L-929 cells were exposed to diluted extracts of the composite indicated that the HAp/Chi scaffold has good in vitro cytocompatibility. The results indicated that HAp/Chi composites with porous structure are promising scaffolding materials for bone-patch engineering because their porous morphology can provide an environment conductive to attachment and growth of osteoblasts and osteogenic cells.
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