Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Dense Hydroxyapatite: A Review

In the last five decades, there have been vast advances in the field of biomaterials, including ceramics, glasses, glass-ceramics and metal alloys. Dense and porous ceramics have been widely used for various biomedical applications. Current applications of bioceramics include bone grafts, spinal fusion, bone repairs, bone fillers, maxillofacial reconstruction, etc. Amongst the various calcium phosphate compositions, hydroxyapatite, which has a composition similar to human bone, has attracted wide interest. Much emphasis is given to tissue engineering, both in porous and dense ceramic forms. The current review focusses on the various applications of dense hydroxyapatite and other dense biomaterials on the aspects of transparency and the mechanical and electrical behavior. Prospective future applications, established along the aforesaid applications of hydroxyapatite, appear to be promising regarding bone bonding, advanced medical treatment methods, improvement of the mechanical strength of artificial bone grafts and better in vitro/in vivo methodologies to afford more particular outcomes.

The synthesis, characterisation and in vivo study of a bioceramic for potential tissue regeneration applications

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is a biocompatible ceramic that is currently used in a number of current biomedical applications. Recently, nanometre scale forms of HAP have attracted considerable interest due to their close similarity to the inorganic mineral component of the bone matrix found in humans. In this study ultrafine nanometre scale HAP powders were prepared via a wet precipitation method under the influence of ultrasonic irradiation. The resulting powders were compacted and sintered to form a series of ceramic pellets with a sponge-like structure with varying density and porosity. The crystalline structure, size and morphology of the powders and the porous ceramic pellets were investigated using advanced characterization techniques. The pellets demonstrated good biocompatibility, including mixed cell colonisation and matrix deposition, in vivo following surgical implantation into sheep M. latissimus dorsi.

A novel two-step sintering for nano-hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

In this study, nano-hydroxyapatite scaffolds with high mechanical strength and an interconnected porous structure were prepared using NTSS for the first time. The first step was performed using a laser characterized by the rapid heating to skip the surface diffusion and to obtain the driving force for grain boundary diffusion. Additionally, the interconnected porous structure was achieved by SLS. The second step consisted of isothermal heating in a furnace at a lower temperature (T₂) than that of the laser beam to further increase the density and to suppress grain growth by exploiting the difference in kinetics between grain-boundary diffusion and grain-boundary migration. The results indicated that the mechanical properties first increased and then decreased as T₂ was increased from 1050 to 1250°C. The optimal fracture toughness, compressive strength and stiffness were 1.69 MPam^1/2, 18.68 MPa and 245.79 MPa, respectively. At the optimal point, the T₂ was 1100°C, the grain size was 60 nm and the relative density was 97.6%. The decrease in mechanical properties was due to the growth of grains and the decomposition of HAP. The cytocompatibility test results indicated that cells adhered and spread well on the scaffolds. A bone-like apatite layer formed, indicating good bioactivity.

Correlation between properties and microstructure of laser sintered porous β-tricalcium phosphate bone scaffolds

A porous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) bioceramic scaffold was successfully prepared with our homemade selective laser sintering system. Microstructure observation by a scanning electron microscope showed that the grains grew from 0.21 to 1.32 μm with the decrease of laser scanning speed from 250 to 50 mm min^-1. The mechanical properties increased mainly due to the improved apparent density when the laser scanning speed decreased to 150 mm min^-1. When the scanning speed was further decreased, the grain size became larger and the mechanical properties severely decreased. The highest Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the scaffold were 3.59 GPa and 1.16 MPa m^1/2, respectively, when laser power was 11 W, spot size was 1 mm in diameter, layer thickness was 0.1-0.2 mm and laser scanning speed was 150 mm min^-1. The biocompatibility of these scaffolds was assessed in vitro with MG63 osteoblast-like cells and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The results showed that all the prepared scaffolds are suitable for cell attachment and differentiation. Moreover, the smaller the grain size, the better the cell biocompatibility. The porous scaffold with a grain size of 0.71 μm was immersed in a simulated body fluid for different days to assess the bioactivity. The surface of the scaffold was covered by a bone-like apatite layer, which indicated that the β-TCP scaffold possesses good bioactivity. These discoveries demonstrated the evolution rule between grain microstructure and the properties that give a useful reference for the fabrication of β-TCP bone scaffolds.