Formation of apatite on poly(alpha-hydroxy acid) in an accelerated biomimetic process

Bonelike apatite coating was formed on poly(L-lactic acid) films and poly(glycolic acid) scaffolds within 24 h through an accelerated biomimetic process. The ion concentrations in the simulated body fluid (SBF) were nearly 5 times of those in the human blood plasma. The apatite formed was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The apatite formed in 5SBFs was similar in morphology and composition to that formed in the classical biomimetic process using SBF or 1.5SBF and similar to that of natural bone. This indicated that the biomimetic apatite-coating process could be accelerated by using concentrated simulated body fluid at 37 degrees C. Besides saving time, the accelerated biomimetic process is particularly significant to biodegradable polymers. Some polymers that degrade too fast to be coated with apatite by a classical biomimetic process (e.g., PGA) could be coated with bonelike apatite in an accelerated biomimetic process.