A review: silicate ceramic-polymer composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering

Statement of significanceHuman bone is known as a composite material comprised of hydroxyapatite (HA) as a ceramic phase and collagen as a polymer phase. The development of hierarchical porous scaffolds to imitate the structure and properties of human natural bone is one of the major challenges in tissue engineering. Although bioactive ceramics (particularly silicate-based ceramics) have been known as promising biomaterials due to their comparable chemical compositions to those of human bone; nonetheless, their low strength limits their biomedical applications in load-bearing sites. On the other hand, polymeric biomaterials feature some disadvantages such as inadequate mechanical strength, low bioactivity, lack of binding sites for cell adhesion, and acidic degradation products. Therefore, composites are of great importance to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings by combining the excellent ductility of biopolymers and bioactivity of ceramics. This review discusses on the influence of silicate ceramics on the mechanical, cytocompatibility, and bioactivity properties of polymer-based scaffold for potential application in bone tissue engineering.

Automated summary

This review discusses the influence of silicate ceramics on the mechanical, cytocompatibility, and bioactivity properties of polymer-based scaffolds for potential application in bone tissue engineering.