An Experimental Study of Porous Hydroxyapatite Scaffold Bioactivity in Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite is one of the most bioactive materials used in tissue engineering due to its excellent biocompatibility and chemical composition which is equivalent to the mineral element of bone. In this study, polymer sponge replication method was used to fabricate porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds. Pure phase of hydroxyapatite scaffolds and the chemical bonding were verified via Fourier Transform Infrared and X-ray diffraction. Emission scanning electron microscopy (F E S E M) examination showed that the proposed scaffold has high interconnected pores that were achieved just after sintering at temperatures 1350 ºC for 2 hours. The percentage porosity values were estimated to be between 75–78 percent. The bioactivity of porous scaffolds was also investigated. They were submerged in a slurry of simulated body fluid (S B F) for seven, fourteen, and twenty-one days, respectively. Both FESEM and XRD analysis have confirmed the bioactivity of the prepared porous hydroxyapatite scaffold through the formation of a dense layer of apatite on its surface. Based on the results, the porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds could be recommended as a critical option for bone defects as well as replacement applications.

Keywords

• hydroxyapatite
• scaffold
• bone regeneration
• bioactivity