Fabrication of carbonate apatite honeycomb and its tissue response

Nanofibrous electrospun scaffold doped with hydroxyapatite derived from sand lobster shell (Panulirus homarus) for bone tissue engineering

Healing of significant segmental bone defects remains a challenge, and various studies attempt to make materials that mimic bone structures and have biocompatibility, bioactivity, biodegradability, and osteoconductivity to native bone tissues. In this work, a nanofiber scaffold membrane of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/chitosan (CS) combined with hydroxyapatite (HAp) from sand lobster (SL; Panulirus homarus) shells, as a calcium source, was successfully synthesized to mimic the nanoscale extracellular matrix (ECM) in the native bone. The HAp from SL shells was synthesized by co-precipitation method with Ca/P of 1.67 and incorporated into the nanofiber membrane PVA/PVP/CS synthesized by the electrospinning method with varying concentrations, i.e. 0, 1, 3, and 5% (w/v). Based on the morphological and physicochemical analysis, the addition of HAp into the nanofiber successfully showed incorporation into the nanofiber with small agglomeration at HAp concentrations of 1, 3, and 5% (w/v). This led to a smaller fiber diameter with higher concentration of Hap, and incorporating HAp into the nanofiber could improve the mechanical properties of the nanofiber closer to the trabecula bone. Moreover, in general, swelling due to water absorption increases due to higher hydrophilicity at higher HAp concentrations and leads to the improvement of the degradation process and protein adsorption of the nanofiber. Biomineralization in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution confirms that the HAp in the nanofiber increases bioactivity, and it can be seen that more apatite is formed during longer immersion in the SBF solution. The nanofiber PVA/PVP/CS HAp 5% has the most potential for osteoblast (MC3T3E1) cell viability after being incubated for 24 h, and it allowed the cell to attach and proliferate. Additionally, the higher HAp concentration in the nanofiber scaffold membrane can significantly promote the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3E1 cells. Overall, the PVA/PVP/CS/HAp 5% nanofiber scaffold membrane has the most potential for bone tissue engineering.

Reconstruction of rabbit mandibular bone defects using carbonate apatite honeycomb blocks with an interconnected porous structure

Carbonate apatite (CO₃Ap) granules are useful as a bone substitute because they can be remodeled to new natural bone in a manner that conforms to the bone remodeling process. However, reconstructing large bone defects using CO₃Ap granules is difficult because of their granular shape. Therefore, we fabricated CO₃Ap honeycomb blocks (HCBs) with continuous unidirectional pores. We aimed to elucidate the tissue response and availability of CO₃Ap HCBs in the reconstruction of rabbit mandibular bone defects after marginal mandibulectomy. The percentages of the remaining CO₃Ap area and calcified bone area (newly formed bone) were estimated from the histological images. CO₃Ap area was 49.1 ± 4.9%, 30.3 ± 3.5%, and 25.5 ± 8.8%, whereas newly formed bone area was 3.0 ± 0.6%, 24.3 ± 3.3%, and 34.7 ± 4.8% at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively, after implantation. Thus, CO₃Ap HCBs were gradually resorbed and replaced by new bone. The newly formed bone penetrated most of the pores in the CO₃Ap HCBs at 12 weeks after implantation. By contrast, the granulation tissue scarcely invaded the CO₃Ap HCBs. Some osteoclasts invaded the wall of CO₃Ap HCBs, making resorption pits. Furthermore, many osteoblasts were found on the newly formed bone, indicating ongoing bone remodeling. Blood vessels were also formed inside most of the pores in the CO₃Ap HCBs. These findings suggest that CO₃Ap HCBs have good osteoconductivity and can be used for the reconstruction of large mandibular bone defects. The CO₃Ap HCB were gradually resorbed and replaced by newly formed bone.

Effects of the carbonate content in carbonate apatite on bone replacement

Carbonate apatite (CO₃ Ap), an inorganic component of human bone, has been clinically applied as an artificial bone substitute. In this study, the effects of the CO₃ content in CO₃ Ap on the replacement by new bone were studied by fabricating CO₃ Ap granules containing 0.9-8.3 wt% of CO₃ . The dissolution rate of CO₃ Ap in a weak acidic solution, mimicking the Howship's lacunae, was rapid for the CO₃ Ap granules containing a larger amount of CO₃ . Histological analyses demonstrated the rapid resorption in CO₃ Ap and replacement by natural bone tissue when the CO₃ content was increased. Therefore, the CO₃ content in CO₃ Ap is a key factor that influences the replacement of the bone tissue.

Porous Carbonated Hydroxyapatite-Based Paraffin Wax Nanocomposite Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering: A Physicochemical Properties and Cell Viability Assay Analysis

Porosity is one of the parameters of scaffold pore structure that must be developed using paraffin wax as a synthetic polymer for making porous bioceramics carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA). This study fabricated CHA based on abalone mussel shells (Halioitis asinina); CHA/paraffin wax nanocomposite scaffolds were synthesized using paraffin wax with concentration variations of 10, 20, and 30 wt.%. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results showed that the Ca/P molar ratio of CHA was 1.72, which approaches the natural bone. The addition of paraffin wax in all concentration variation treatments caused the crystallographic properties of the CHA/paraffin wax nanocomposite scaffolds to decrease. The results of pore analysis suggest that the high concentration of paraffin wax in the CHA suspension is involved in the formation of more pores on the surface of the scaffold, but only CHA/paraffin wax 30 wt.% had a scaffold with potential to be used in media with a cellular growth orientation. The micropore analysis was also supported by the cell viability assay results for CHA/paraffin wax 30 wt.% nanocomposite scaffold, where serial doses of scaffold concentrations to mouse osteoblast cells were secure. Overall, based on this analysis, the CHA/paraffin wax scaffold can be a candidate for bone tissue engineering.

Carbonate apatite artificial bone

Bone apatite is not hydroxyapatite (HAp), it is carbonate apatite (CO3Ap), which contains 6-9 mass% carbonate in an apatitic structure. The CO3Ap block cannot be fabricated by sintering because of its thermal decomposition at the sintering temperature. Chemically pure (100%) CO3Ap artificial bone was recently fabricated through a dissolution-precipitation reaction in an aqueous solution using a precursor, such as a calcium carbonate block. In this paper, methods of fabricating CO3Ap artificial bone are reviewed along with their clinical and animal results. CO3Ap artificial bone is resorbed by osteoclasts and upregulates the differentiation of osteoblasts. As a result, CO3Ap demonstrates much higher osteoconductivity than HAp and is replaced by new bone via bone remodeling. Granular-type CO3Ap artificial bone was approved for clinical use in Japan in 2017. Honeycomb-type CO3Ap artificial bone is fabricated using an extruder and a CaCO3 honeycomb block as a precursor. Honeycomb CO3Ap artificial bone allows vertical bone augmentation. A CO3Ap-coated titanium plate has also been fabricated using a CaCO3-coated titanium plate as a precursor. The adhesive strength is as high as 76.8 MPa, with excellent tissue response and high osteoconductivity.

Carbonated Hydroxyapatite-Based Honeycomb Scaffold Coatings on a Titanium Alloy for Bone Implant Application—Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties Analysis

In this work, carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) based on abalone mussel shells (Haliotis asinina) is synthesized using the co-precipitation method. The synthesized CHA was mixed with honeycomb (HCB) 40 wt.% for the scaffold fabrication process. CHA and scaffold CHA/HCB 40 wt.% were used for coating a Titanium (Ti) alloy using the electrophoretic deposition dip coating (EP2D) method with immersion times of 10, 20, and 30 min. The synthesized B-type CHA with a stirring time of 45 min could have lower transmittance values and smaller crystallite size. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the Ca/P molar ratio was 1.79. The scaffold CHA/HCB 40 wt.% had macropore size, micropore size, and porosity of 102.02 ± 9.88 μm, 1.08 ± 0.086 μm, and 66.36%, respectively, and therefore it can also be applied in the coating process for bone implant applications due to the potential scaffold for bone growth. Thus, it has the potential for coating on Ti alloy applications. In this study, the compressive strength for all immersion time variations was about 54–83 MPa. The average compression strengths of human cancellous bone were about 0.2–80 MPa. The thickness obtained was in accordance with the thickness parameters required for a coating of 50–200 μm.

Bioceramic hydroxyapatite-based scaffold with a porous structure using honeycomb as a natural polymeric Porogen for bone tissue engineering

Background

The application of bioceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) derived from materials high in calcium to tissue engineering has been of concern, namely scaffold. Scaffold pores allow for cell mobility metabolic processes, and delivery of oxygen and nutrients by blood vessel. Thus, pore architecture affects cell seeding efficiency, cell viability, migration, morphology, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, mechanical strength of scaffolds, and, eventually, bone formation. Therefore, to improve the efficacy of bone regeneration, several important parameters of the pore architecture of scaffolds must be carefully controlled, including pore size, geometry, orientation, uniformity, interconnectivity, and porosity, which are interrelated and whose coordination affects the effectiveness of bone tissue engineering. The honeycomb (HCB) as natural polymeric porogen is used to pore forming agent of scaffolds. It is unique for fully interconnected and oriented pores of uniform size and high mechanical strength in the direction of the pores. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effect of HCB concentration on macropore structure of the scaffolds.

Methods

Bioceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) was synthesized from abalone mussel shells (Halioitis asinina) using a precipitation method, and HA-based scaffolds were fabricated with honeycomb (HCB) as the porogen agent. Pore structure engineering was successfully carried out using HCB at concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 wt%.

Results

The Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed that the Ca/P molar ratio of HA was 1.67 (the stoichiometric ratio of HA). The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra results for porous HA-based scaffolds and synthesized HA showed that no chemical decomposition occurred in the HA-based scaffold fabrication process. The porosity of the scaffold tended to increase when higher concentrations of HCB were added. XRD data show that the HCB was completely degraded from the scaffold material. The cell metabolic activity and morphology of the HA + HCB 30 wt% scaffold enable it to facilitate the attachment of MC3T3E1 cells on its surface.

Conclusion

HCB 30 wt% is the best concentration to fabricate the scaffold corresponding to the criteria for pores structure, crystallographic properties, chemical decomposition process and cell viability for bone tissue engineering.

Morphological evolution of carbonated hydroxyapatite to faceted nanorods through intermediate states

On the conversion of a parent calcite nanocrystal, thin low-crystalline nanosheets of carbonated hydroxyapatite are initially grown via the dissolution–reprecipitation route and then evolve into faceted rods covered with stable surfaces.

Fabrication of porous carbonate apatite granules using microfiber and its histological evaluations in rabbit calvarial bone defects

Carbonate apatite (CO₃ Ap) granules are known to show good osteoconductivity and replaced to new bone. On the other hand, it is well known that a porous structure allows bone tissue to penetrate its pores, and the optimal pore size for bone ingrowth is dependent on the composition and structure of the scaffold material. Therefore, the aim of this study was to fabricate various porous CO₃ Ap granules through a two-step dissolution-precipitation reaction using CaSO₄ as a precursor and 30-, 50-, 120-, and 205-μm diameter microfibers as porogen and to find the optimal pore size of CO₃ Ap. Porous CO₃ Ap granules were successfully fabricated with pore size 8.2-18.7% smaller than the size of the original fiber porogen. Two weeks after the reconstruction of rabbit calvarial bone defects using porous CO₃ Ap granules, the largest amount of mature bone was seen to be formed inside the pores of CO₃ Ap (120) [porous CO₃ Ap granules made using 120-μm microfiber] followed by CO₃ Ap (50) and CO₃ Ap (30). At 4 and 8 weeks, no statistically significant difference was observed based on the pore size, even though largest amount of mature bone was formed in case of CO₃ Ap (120). It is concluded, therefore, that the optimal pore size of the CO₃ Ap is that of CO₃ Ap (120), which is 85 μm.

Fabrication and Histological Evaluation of Porous Carbonate Apatite Block from Gypsum Block Containing Spherical Phenol Resin as a Porogen

The utility of carbonate apatite (CO₃Ap) as a bone substitute has been demonstrated. The feasibility of fabricating macroporous CO₃Ap was evaluated through a two-step dissolution–precipitation reaction using gypsum as the precursor and spherical phenol resin as the porogen. Porogen-containing gypsum was heated to burn out the porogen and to fabricate macroporous structures. Gypsum transformed into CaCO₃ upon immersion in a sodium carbonate solution, while maintaining its macroporous structure. Next, CaCO₃ transformed into CO₃Ap upon immersion in a Na₂HPO₄ solution while maintaining its macroporous structure. The utility of the macroporous CO₃Ap for histologically reconstructing bone defects was evaluated in rabbit femurs. After 4 weeks, a much larger bone was formed inside the macroporous CO₃Ap than that inside non-macroporous CO₃Ap and macroporous hydroxyapatite (HAp). A larger amount of bone was observed inside non-macroporous CO₃Ap than inside macroporous HAp. The bone defects were completely reconstructed within 12 weeks using macroporous CO₃Ap. In conclusion, macroporous CO₃Ap has good potential as an ideal bone substitute.