Fabrication and histological evaluation of ant-nest type porous carbonate apatite artificial bone using polyurethane foam as a porogen

The composition of carbonate apatite (CO(3)Ap) aids bone regeneration. Other features, such as porosity and pore interconnectivity of artificial bone, also govern bone regeneration. In general, a trade-off exists between the porosity and mechanical strength of artificial bone. Therefore, this suggests that the interconnected pores in the ant-nest-type porous (ANP) structure of artificial bone accelerate bone regeneration by minimizing the sacrifice of mechanical strength. The unique structure of polyurethane foam has the potential to endow CO(3)Ap with an ANP structure without forming excess pores. This study investigated the efficacy of polyurethane foam as a porogen in providing ANP structure to CO(3)Ap artificial bone. The polyurethane foam was completely decomposed by sintering and the resulting CO(3)Ap displayed ANP structure with a compressive strength of approximately 15 MPa. Furthermore, in vivo experiments revealed that the migration of cells and tissues into the interior of CO(3)Ap through the interconnected pores accelerated bone regeneration in the ANP-structured CO(3)Ap. Thus, this indicates that using polyurethane foam as a porogen endows the CO(3)Ap artificial bone with an ANP structure that accelerates bone regeneration.

Automated summary

The use of polyurethane foam as a porogen can provide an ant-nest-type porous (ANP) structure to carbonate apatite (CO(3)Ap) artificial bone, accelerating bone regeneration.