Polyanhydride copolymer and bioceramic composites as bone substitutes

Durable mechanical strength and biocompatibility are the two major requirements for osteogenic scaffolds. Polyanhydrides are a class of biodegradable polymers characterized by anhydride bonds that connect repeating units of the polymer backbone chain. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the main component of human bone and is a good osteoinductive factor that promotes bone mineralization. This work validates the combination of polyanhydrides and HAP for biomedical application. Polyanhydride copolymers were fabricated from sebacic acid (SA) and 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH). HAP was surface-modified by polycaprolactone (PCL), and testing tablets were made using different ratios of copolymers and surface-grafted HAP (g-HAP). Degradation tests were performed to evaluate mechanical strength, pH, and weight loss. Biocompatibility was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and live/dead stain test. Cell affinity was measured using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The favorable surface erosion property of polyanhydrides prevented marked changes in the mechanical properties over time. In addition, the degradation byproducts of the copolymer did not cause a serious decline in pH and were less harmful to the cells. g-HAP increased cell affinity for the polymer surface. The research team synthesized polyanhydride/g-HAP composites with high mechanical strength, slow degradation, and excellent biocompatibility. The result showed that a CPH/SA ratio of 7:3 in combination with 10 wt% g-HAP was optimal as bone substitute.