Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Synthesis of Graphene-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites for Potential Use in Bone Tissue Engineering
Published on: July 27, 2022
Incorporation of surface-modified hydroxyapatite into poly(methyl methacrylate) to improve biological activity and
Kuan-Lin Ku1, Yu-Shan Wu1, Chi-Yun Wang2,3
1Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Abstract:
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is the most frequently used bone void filler in orthopedic surgery. However, the interface between the PMMA-based cement and adjacent bone tissue is typically weak as PMMA bone cement is inherently bioinert and not ideal for bone ingrowth. The present study aims to improve the affinity between the polymer and ceramic interphases. By surface modifying nano-sized hydroxyapatite (nHAP) with ethylene glycol and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) sequentially via a two-step ring opening reaction, affinity was improved between the polymer and ceramic interphases of PCL-grafted ethylene glycol-HAP (gHAP) in PMMA. Due to better affinity, the compressive strength of gHAP/PMMA was significantly enhanced compared with nHAP/PMMA. Furthermore, PMMA with 20 wt.% gHAP promoted pre-osteoblast cell proliferation in vitro and showed the best osteogenic activity between the composites tested in vivo. Taken together, gHAP/PMMA not only improves the interfacial adhesion between the nanoparticles and cement, but also increases the biological activity and affinity between the osteoblast cells and PMMA composite cement. These results show that gHAP and its use in polymer/bioceramic composite has great potential to improve the functionality of PMMA cement.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Biological Effects of Radiation
What is Conservation Biology?
Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions
The mechanism of methylation unfolds in two stages. The first stage sees a methyltransferase enzyme facilitating the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the substrate, forming S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). The second stage involves further metabolism of SAH into homocysteine, which can be recycled...
Synthetic Biology
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
Cell-surface Signaling

