Biopolymers & Bioplastics

Biography

Biography: Ignacia A Cancino

Abstract

Bone defects remain an important clinical challenge to medical staff. When bigger bone defects are present, there is a need for placing a scaffold, so that cells can grow and differentiate [1]. Today, different types of bone grafts exist, and depending on its source, they can be natural or synthetic. Synthetic grafts (alloplastic) are ceramics widely available and with lower costs than natural bone grafts (autografts and xenografts) [2]. To allow bone regeneration, the bone graft should possess, among other things, porosity and mechanical properties similar to bone structures [3,4]. For these reasons, a calcium sulfate particle was designed with a geodesic semi-sphere and microporous shape and produced using binder jetting [5] technology. The particle’s shape allows its 3D stabilization creating free spaces so that bone regeneration can occur.

Considering all of the above, the particles were additionally processed so that they can increase their mechanical properties (elastic modulus and ultimate compressive strength), and decrease their solubility in physiological conditions for their use as bone grafts. This was done by impregnating the particles after they were heated at 200ºC for 10 min, with a biocompatible polymer. The results show that, the particles were able to keep their shape after being washed with physiological buffer at 37ºC and they increased 78 times their young modulus in average and and 45 times its ultimate compressive strength. Further tests need to be performed to have statistically robust results.