Millon Leonardo E, Oates Christine J, Wan Wankei
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2009 Aug;90(2):922-9. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.31364.
Despite the established use of total joint replacement for the treatment of advanced degeneration of articular cartilage, component loosening due to wear and osteolysis limits the lifespan of these joint prostheses. In the present study, nanocomposites consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers were investigated as possible improved cartilage replacement materials. Nanocomposites were synthesized by adding small amounts (<1%) of BC to PVA, and subjecting the mixture to thermal cycling. The mechanical properties of the resulting material were evaluated using unconfined compression testing. By the addition of BC nanofibers to the PVA matrix, a nanocomposite with a wide range of compressive mechanical properties control was obtained, with elastic modulus values similar to those reported for native articular cartilage. The nanocomposite also showed improved strain-rate dependence and adequate viscoelastic properties. The PVA-BC nanocomposite is therefore a promising biomaterial to be considered as a possible replacement material for localized articular cartilage injuries and other orthopedic applications such as intervertebral discs.
尽管全关节置换术已被用于治疗晚期关节软骨退变，但由于磨损和骨溶解导致的部件松动限制了这些关节假体的使用寿命。在本研究中，对由聚乙烯醇（PVA）和细菌纤维素（BC）纳米纤维组成的纳米复合材料作为可能的改良软骨替代材料进行了研究。通过向PVA中添加少量（<1%）的BC并对混合物进行热循环来合成纳米复合材料。使用无侧限压缩试验评估所得材料的力学性能。通过向PVA基质中添加BC纳米纤维，获得了一种具有广泛压缩力学性能控制范围的纳米复合材料，其弹性模量值与天然关节软骨报道的值相似。该纳米复合材料还表现出改善的应变率依赖性和足够的粘弹性。因此，PVA-BC纳米复合材料是一种有前途的生物材料，可被视为局部关节软骨损伤和其他骨科应用（如椎间盘）的可能替代材料。
