Premium
Preparation of a bonelike apatite–polymer fiber composite using a simple biomimetic process
Author(s) -
Yokoyama Yoshiro,
Oyane Ayako,
Ito Atsuo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.31025
Subject(s) - apatite , materials science , simulated body fluid , composite material , composite number , polymer , surface modification , adhesive , chemical engineering , layer (electronics) , scanning electron microscope , engineering
A bonelike apatite–polymer fiber composite may be useful as an implant material to replace bone, the enthesis of a tendon, and the joint part of a ligament. We treated an ethylene‐vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) plate and knitted EVOH fibers with an oxygen plasma to produce oxygen‐containing functional groups on their surfaces. The plasma‐treated samples were alternately dipped in alcoholic calcium and phosphate ion solutions three times to deposit apatite precursors onto their surfaces. The surface‐modified samples formed a dense and uniform bonelike surface apatite layer after immersion for 24 h in a simulated body fluid with ion concentrations approximately equal to those of human blood plasma. The adhesive strength between the apatite layer and the sample's surface increased with increasing power density of the oxygen plasma. The apatite–EVOH fiber composite obtained by our process has similarities to natural bone in that apatite crystals are deposited on organic polymer fibers. The resulting composite would possess osteoconductivity due to the apatite phase. With proper polymer selection and optimized synthesis techniques, a composite could be made that would have bonelike mechanical properties. Hence, the present surface modification and coating process would be a promising route to obtain new implant materials with bonelike mechanical properties and osteoconductivity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008