3D-glass-ceramic scaffolds with antibacterial properties for bone grafting

A 3D-scaffold for bone tissue engineering should show an interconnected macroporous network with pores exceeding 100 mu m to favor cell penetration and vascularisation, should be osteoproductive and should exhibit sufficient mechanical strength. In this work, bioactive glass-ceramic scaffold characterised by a network of pores and struts were obtained using the sponge impregnation method. Specifically, 3D-scaffolds with a total porosity of 75 vol.% and 2 MPa of compressive strength were prepared through a fine tuning of the processing parameters. On the as obtained scaffolds, silver ions were introduced in controlled amount through ion-exchange process imparting antibacterial properties. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.