Development of nanohydroxyapatite composites as bone grafting materials / 生物医学工程学杂志

ABSTRACT

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of ideal materials for bone substitutions due to its intrinsic biocompatibility. However, its relatively poor mechanical properties such as brittleness and low strength have hindered its use in high-load applications. Biotic bones themselves are nanocomposites mainly composed of nanohydroxyapatite (n-HA) and collagen. From biomimetic point of view, nanocomposites of HA could potentially improve both biocompatibility and mechanical properties of bone grafting materials. Recent progress in this field branched into nanocomposites of HA with nonbiodegradable and biodegradable polymers, the latter including collagen, gelatin, chitosan, polylactides as well as polyanhydrides. In this paper, the preparation, biological reactions and mechanical properties of different nanocomposites are reviewed in detail.