Gear-shaped carbonate apatite granules with a hexagonal macropore for rapid bone regeneration

Synthetic bone grafts are in high demand owing to increased age-related bone disorders in the global aging population. Here, we report fabrication of gear-shaped granules (G-GRNs) for rapid bone healing. G-GRNs possessed six protrusions and a hexagonal macropore in the granular center. These were composed of carbonate apatite, i.e., bone mineral, microspheres with ∼1-μm micropores in the spaces between the microspheres. G-GRNs formed new bone and blood vessels (both on the granular surface and within the macropores) 4 weeks after implantation in the rabbit femur defects. The formed bone structure was similar to that of cancellous bone. The bone percentage in the defect recovered to that in a normal rabbit femur at week-4 post-implantation, and the bone percentage remained constant for the following 8 weeks. Throughout the entire period, the bone percentage in the G-GRN-implanted group was ∼10% higher than that of the group implanted with conventional carbonate apatite granules. Furthermore, a portion of the G-GRNs resorbed at week-4, and resorption continued for the following 8 weeks. Thus, G-GRNs are involved in bone remodeling and are gradually replaced with new bone while maintaining a suitable bone level. These findings provide a basis for the design and fabrication of synthetic bone grafts for achieving rapid bone regeneration.