Resorbable structured porous materials in the healing process of hard tissue defects

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Damaged articular cartilage poses significant challenges in restoration.
• Existing bone graft substitutes often lack ideal structural and degradation properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel osteoconductive scaffolds for articular cartilage resurfacing.
• To create implants with controlled porosity, mechanical properties, and degradation rates.

Main Methods:

• Coating coralline hydroxyapatite (HA) with polylactide (PLa).
• Creating polymeric negative replicas of coral Goniopora (G) using PLa-epsilon caprolactone.
• Utilizing an intermediary aspirin replica for PLa co-polymer replication.
• Fabricating macro- and microporous structures via freeze-drying.

Main Results:

• Both coated and uncoated HA implants showed substantial bone ingrowth in rabbit models.
• Polymeric replicas exhibited deep bone ingrowth with tight attachment and minimal inflammation.
• The novel technique successfully created porous structures with controlled properties.

Conclusions:

• The developed technique is feasible for creating osteocompatible implants with interconnected pores.
• These implants possess suitable porosity, elasticity, and mechanical strength for articular cartilage applications.
• The scaffolds offer controlled degradation rates, enhancing their potential for tissue regeneration.