3D interconnected porous HA scaffolds with SiO2 additions: effect of SiO2 content and macropore size on the viability of human osteoblast cells.

3D interconnected porous scaffolds of HA and HA with various additions of SiO2 were fabricated using a polymeric template technique, to make bioceramic scaffolds consisting of macrostructures of the interconnected macropores. Three different sizes of the polyurethane template were used in the fabrication process to form different size interconnected macropores, to study the effect of pore size on human osteoblast cell viability. The template used allowed fabrication of scaffolds with pore sizes of 45, 60, and 75 ppi, respectively. Scanning microscopy was used extensively to observe the microstructure of the sintered samples and the characteristics of cells growing on the HA surfaces of the interconnected macropores. It has been clearly demonstrated that the SiO2 addition has influenced both the phase transformation of HA to TCP (β-TCP and α-TCP) and also affected the human osteoblast cell viability grown on these scaffolds.