Tissue Engineering & Biophotonics, King's College London, Dental Institute, Floor 17, Tower Wing, Guy's Hospital, London Bridge, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
J Mater Sci Mater Med. 2018 Jul 30;29(8):128. doi: 10.1007/s10856-018-6133-6.
The incidence of degenerative diseases and the ageing population have added to the growing demand for bone grafts. Although autologous bone continues to be the gold standard, limited yield and potential morbidity of the donor site pose considerable challenges. Currently, clinically used synthetic grafts based on calcium phosphates are mechanically brittle and not compliant hence composite scaffolds are expected to be provide viable solutions. In this study we report composites of calcium meta phosphate-poly (vinyl alcohol) with tunable mechanical properties, low swelling and excellent biocompatibility. The elastomeric nature of the composites resist brittle fracture and the scaffolds can be easily shaped to the bone defect by the surgeon. Testing on bone plug shaped specimens of the scaffolds, exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to currently commercially available bone plugs with additional advantages being the ability to increase porosity without compromising properties in compression and degree of swelling, which make these composites promising synthetic alternatives for bone grafts and bone tissue engineering.
退行性疾病的发病率和人口老龄化增加了对骨移植物的需求。虽然自体骨仍然是金标准，但供体部位的产量有限和潜在的发病率带来了相当大的挑战。目前，临床上使用的基于磷酸钙的合成移植物在机械上是脆性的，并且不顺应，因此预计复合支架将提供可行的解决方案。在这项研究中，我们报告了具有可调节机械性能、低膨胀和优异生物相容性的偏磷酸钙-聚乙烯醇复合材料。复合材料的弹性性质可防止脆性断裂，支架可由外科医生轻松塑造成骨缺损的形状。对支架的骨栓形状标本进行测试，显示出比目前市售的骨栓更好的机械性能，其额外的优点是能够在不影响压缩性能和膨胀程度的情况下增加孔隙率，这使得这些复合材料成为骨移植物和骨组织工程的有前途的合成替代品。
