An evaluation of the osteoinductive properties of bioactive composites

The two most widely investigated materials for bone repair are ß-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) (Ca₃(PO4)₂) and synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) (Ca₁₀(PO4)₆(OH)₂). They are bioactive as well as biocompatible and osteoconductive. These materials are categorized as bioactive because they have the ability to form strong chemical bond with the neighboring bone tissue. Clinically, however, these materials have had limited use because of their brittleness and difficulty in shaping. Therefore, biodegradable polymer/bioceramic composites have been sought as an alternative form to using calcium phosphates alone. In this study, composites consisting of 20/80 HA/TCP and poly (¿-caprolactone) (PCL) were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. Electrospun ceramic composites were fabricated with two different architectures and evaluated for bioactivity and osteogenic properties. The results suggested that composites consisting of both nano and mirconscale fiber morphologies had better bioactivity and osteogenic properties.