Biomimetic bone scaffolds based on chitosan and calcium phosphates

This paper reports a novel biomimetic technique for obtaining chitosan-calcium phosphate composite scaffolds (Cs-CP) by calcium phosphate precipitation from its precursors,CaCl2 and NaH2PO4 in the presence of ammonia and Cs, followed by product freeze-drying. The structural and morphological analysis showed the arrangement of CP onto Cs fibers, while Cs acting as glue to bind together the CP crystals. The presence of different forms of CP was evidenced, including hydroxyapatite, which is known to be involved in the formation of the new bone tissue in living organisms. Great mechanical properties of the scaffolds indicate their potential use in bone tissue engineering. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.