Toward Smart Implant Synthesis: Bonding Bioceramics of Different Resorbability to Match Bone Growth Rates

This work was partially funded by the European Union (Project MARMED - 2011-1/164), the Spanish Government and FEDER (CICYT MAT2006-10481) by Xunta de Galicia (CN2012/292)

Sol-gel derived mesoporous bioactive glass fibers as tissue-engineering scaffolds

Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) fibers have been synthesized using the combination of a sol–gel process and a high velocity spray procedure by carefully controlling the sol composition, acidity and water content. A three-dimensional (3D) macro-structure with ∼50–100 μm interconnected macropores is formed in the spraying process. The MBG fibers possess well-ordered hexagonal mesostructure and excellent in vitro bioactivities. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat osteoblasts have been cultured on MBG fibers. It is found that the MBG fibers have good cell biocompatibility and the 3D macro-structure is beneficial for cell attachment. It is anticipated that MBG fibers with controlled mesostructure and excellent in vitro bioactivity are good candidates for future tissue-engineering scaffolds

Sol-gel derived 45S5 bioglass: synthesis, microstructural evolution and thermal behaviour

In this work, the 45S5 bioactive glass was synthesized through an aqueous sol–gel method. Characteristic functional groups were evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the thermal behaviour was investigated by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, crystallization kinetics and phase evolution were followed by X-ray diffraction measurements. The sintering behaviour of the sol–gel derived 45S5 was then studied by dilatometry and the microstructural evolution was followed step-by-step, interrupting the thermal cycle at different temperatures. In vitro dissolution tests were performed in order to assess the degradation behaviour of sol–gel derived 45S5 samples thermally treated at different temperatures. A relevant influence of the calcination conditions (namely, dwelling time and temperature) of the as-prepared powder on the phase appearance and its sintering behaviour as well as on the porosity features, in terms of pore dimension and interconnectivity, of the fired materials was stated

Low-temperature fabrication of macroporous scaffolds through foaming and hydration of tricalcium silicate paste and their bioactivity

A low-temperature fabrication method for highly porous bioactive scaffolds was developed. The two-step method involved the foaming of tricalcium silicate cement paste and hydration to form calcium silicate hydrate and calcium hydroxide. Scaffolds with a combination of interconnected macro- and micro-sized pores were fabricated by making use of the decomposition of a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution that acted as a foaming agent and through the hydration of tricalcium silicate cement. It was found possible to control the porosity and pore sizes by adjusting the concentration of the H2O2 solution. The in vitro bioactivity of the highly porous scaffolds was investigated by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 7 days. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) was formed on the surface of the scaffolds. Their bioactivity could be expected to be as good as that of tricalcium silicate cement, making the material competent for the bone tissue engineering application.Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin