Preparation and characterization of bacterial cellulose microfiber/goat bone apatite composites for bone repair

Bacterial cellulose (BC) and goat bone apatite (GBA) composites were fabricated by a dissolving method. The 4-methylmorpholine-4-oxide (NMMO) served as the solvent for BC. Goat bone apatite was added to the NMMO solution of BC, so the shape of the material could be easily controlled by using appropriate molds. The expected composites were fabricated from NMMO by immersion in water-bath and formed by lyophilization. The results indicated that GBA was homogenously distributed into BC matrix and some interaction formed at the interface between BC and GBA. The crystallinity of BC in the composites decreased with the increase of GBA content. And the weight loss ratio of the composites decreased with the increase of GBA content and the degradation rate of BC/GBA composites could be adjusted by changing the GBA content in the composites. The surface, after soaking in PBS, was suitable for cell growth. The pH value of the medium was stable around 7.38 after the composites were immersed into PBS for 12 weeks, which was beneficial to bone cell differentiation. Furthermore, the MTT test results showed BC/GBA composites could stimulate cell proliferation and promote the cell differentiation. The results demonstrated that the prepared BC/GBA biocomposite could be a promising bone filler material for bone defects repair and construction. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013