Research of Cu-Doped Hydroxyapatite Microbeads Fabricated by Pneumatic Extrusion Printing

Copper is an indispensable micronutrient in human health, which has important effects on the promotion of angiogenesis and thus contributes to bone formation and antimicrobial activity. We used ion exchange and pneumatic printing methods to prepare hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres with different copper content. The microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Considering the resistance of hydroxyapatite to biodegradation in vivo, the degradation rate of microspheres in modified simulated body fluids was studied. In addition, cell proliferation and antibacterial experiments were carried out to study the biological properties of microspheres. HA-1.5MCu microbeads treated by 1.5 mol/L CuSO₄ curing solution have good performance on degradation, antibacterial properties and cell survival rate on day 7. The results showed that HA-1.5MCu microbeads may be used as a good repair material for bone defects.