Dual-Functional Triphasic Composite Scaffolds for Enhanced Antibacterial and Osteogenic Performance in Preventing...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Osteomyelitis treatment requires effective strategies to combat infection and promote bone regeneration.
• Current treatments face challenges with infection recurrence and inadequate bone healing.
• Biomimetic scaffolds offer a promising approach to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel biomimetic triphasic scaffold for osteomyelitis treatment.
• To investigate the influence of ceramic particle composition on scaffold properties and performance.
• To evaluate the scaffold's potential for antibacterial activity and bone regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a triphasic scaffold using poly-(vinyl alcohol), silk fibroin, and gelatin with ceramic particles (titanium carbide, titanium oxides, strontium carbonate).
• Characterization of scaffold properties including phase composition, microstructure, chemical structure, swelling, degradation, and mechanical strength.
• Evaluation of biological response and antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• The developed scaffolds exhibited a triphasic architecture with distinct sponge-like and film-like layers.
• Ceramic particle content and composition significantly impacted mechanical properties, swelling, degradation, biocompatibility, and antibacterial efficacy.
• Scaffolds containing strontium carbonate demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity and promoted bone regeneration.

Conclusions:

• The optimized triphasic scaffold with 0.5 g of ceramic particles shows significant potential for treating osteomyelitis.
• The scaffold effectively prevents infection recurrence and promotes bone regeneration.
• This biomimetic material represents a multifunctional solution for challenging orthopedic conditions.