Silver doped resorbable tricalcium phosphate scaffolds for bone graft applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Infectious Disease Management

Background:

• Bone graft procedures, especially maxillofacial repair, are common orthopedic surgeries.
• Surgical site infections are a major concern, necessitating effective antimicrobial strategies.
• Silver's ability to potentiate antibiotics against resistant bacteria makes it a promising antimicrobial agent for biomaterials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer silver-doped porous beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds for sustained silver ion release.
• To evaluate the ion release kinetics, osteoconductive properties, and biocompatibility of these scaffolds.
• To assess the impact of silver doping and scaffold porosity on cell proliferation and cytotoxicity.

Main Methods:

• Silver-doped β-TCP scaffolds were fabricated using a liquid porogen method with 0.5, 1, and 2 wt% Ag2O.
• Cumulative silver ion release was measured over 60 days in pH 5 acetate buffer.
• Cytotoxicity and cell proliferation of human osteoblast cell lines on the scaffolds were assessed.

Main Results:

• Porous scaffolds exhibited a 2-fold increase in dissolution rate compared to dense controls.
• Cumulative silver ion release ranged from 80-90 μM for porous scaffolds over 60 days.
• Scaffold porosity doubled osteoblast cell growth, and no significant cytotoxicity was observed even at 2 wt% Ag2O doping.

Conclusions:

• Silver-doped porous β-TCP scaffolds offer a promising approach for sustained antimicrobial ion release in bone regeneration.
• The engineered scaffolds demonstrate excellent biocompatibility and enhanced osteoconductive properties.
• These findings suggest potential for reducing infection risks in orthopedic and maxillofacial bone graft procedures.