In vitro and in vivo evaluation of porous chitosan electret membrane for bone regeneration

A porous chitosan electret membrane, possessing a three-dimensional porous structure and surface charges, was developed using thermally induced phase separation method and grid-controlled corona charging. Results showed that surface charge release of porous electret membrane could be altered by varying charging voltage. Rat osteoblasts adhered well, and cell proliferation and differentiation were enhanced by porous electret membrane compared to porous uncharged membrane. Furthermore, rabbit calvarial defects model demonstrated that porous electret membrane promoted bone regeneration more significantly than porous uncharged membrane. Therefore, the porous chitosan electret membrane might be a promising material for bone regeneration and bone tissue engineering applications.