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[CEPT] Nanohydroxyapatite-polylactide composites  for regenerative implants

Elżbieta Pietrzykowska 1Aleksandra E. Kędzierska 1Dariusz Smolen Tadeusz Chudoba 1Sylwia Kuśnieruk 1Janis Ločs Witold Łojkowski 1,2

1. Instytut Wysokich Ciśnień PAN (IWC), Sokołowska 29/37, Warszawa 01-142, Poland
2. Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of High Pressure Physics (UNIPRESS), Sokolowska 29/37, Warszawa 01-142, Poland

Abstract

 

Regenerative implants are anengineering solution which enables and gives chance for full reconstruction and recovery of patients. In orthopaedics, biomaterials with appropriate mechanical properties and surface nanotopography are in great demand. There is still much room for  research on materials which enhance cell attachment, cell  growth and tissue formation. One of the most widely used biomaterials in bone tissue engineering substitutes is polymer- polylactic acid (PLA) and ceramic -hydroxyapatite (HAP). These two materials complement each other. Polymer materials exhibit biodegradable properties but they often lack desired mechanical properties. HAP ceramic on the other hand is biocompatible and osteoconductive, but pure the ceramic is brittle. The challenge is to combine those two materials and exploit the properties of both in order to obtain implants with desired mechanical and biological properties and avoid inflammatory reactions.

Our work aims to develop consolidation technology of composite nanohydroxyapatite (GoHAP, synthesised in our laboratory) with PLA The aim of our work is to improve and prepare the related technology and render it available for application in industry.  Our goal is to obtain homogeneous  composite with good connection between polymer and nanograin size GoHAP. The paper shows mechanical properties of consolidated composite (GoHAP with PLA polymer). Developed in our Institute, high pressure consolidation technology permits to obtain materials with mechanical properties close to the natural bone. The process is carried out in extreme pressure 1GPa and temperature under 200°C. Thanks to this, the GoHAP nanopowder structure and biological properties are preserved in the composite. The mechanical properties of this nanoceramic were investigated and the compressive strength reaches a value above 130 MPa.

 

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Related papers

Presentation: Poster at Nano and Advanced Materials Workshop and Fair, by Elżbieta Pietrzykowska
See On-line Journal of Nano and Advanced Materials Workshop and Fair

Submitted: 2013-06-07 10:43
Revised:   2013-09-10 10:12