Preparation and biodegradable properties of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle composite coated with poly lactic-co-glycolic...

Bone loss rapidly increases 6 months post tooth extraction, which causes the atrophy of the alveolar bone. Two kinds of biomaterials which can stimulate bone regeneration are bioceramics and polymers. Making a composite of biomaterials results in better physical and biomolecular characteristics in comparison with a bioceramic or a polymer alone. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs) are one of the bioceramics commonly used for bone regeneration; they can degrade faster than hydroxyapatite (HA) microparticles, but have an insufficient pore size. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) are polymers which have been used for biomedical applications. However, PLGA alone has insufficient cell attachment and PVA alone slowly degrades in the bone tissue.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the biodegradation properties of the HANP/PLGA/PVA composites and investigate the pore size.

The HANP/PLGA/PVA composites were prepared using the freeze-drying method, with 20% (w/w) of HANP and 20% (w/w) of PLGA. Morphology and the pore size were determined by means of the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. Biodegradation properties were determined by calculating water uptake and water loss for 1, 3 and 6 weeks. Statistical analysis was performed based on the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p < 0.05.

The HANP/PLGA/PVA composites had the greatest mean pore size and a rougher surface than others (176.00 ±61.93 μm; p < 0.05). Moreover, the HANP/PLGA/PVA composites had the greatest water uptake, significantly in the 3rd (730.46%; p < 0.05) and 6th weeks (731.07%; p < 0.05), and water loss in the 6th week (67.69%; p < 0.05).

The HANP/PLGA/PVA composites have optimal pore size, morphology and degradability, which shows their high potential as an effective bone scaffold to repair the alveolar defect post tooth extraction.