A Periosteum-Inspired 3D Hydrogel-Bioceramic Composite for Enhanced Bone Regeneration

A 3D injectable hydrogel-bioceramic composite consisting of gelatin-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (Gtn-HPA) and carboxymethyl cellulose-tyramine (CMC-Tyr), incorporated with fish scale-derived calcium phosphate (CaP), is developed for bone applications. The hydrogel-bioceramic composite has significantly improved the elastic modulus compared to the non-filled hydrogel, of which the addition of 10w/v% CaP showed zero order fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran release profile and a significantly higher proliferation rate of encapsulated cells. All the samples promote the nucleation and growth of CaP minerals when exposed to 1x SBF. Overall, the hydrogel-bioceramic composite with 10w/v% CaP can potentially be used as a periosteum-mimicking membrane to facilitate bone regeneration.