Biodegradable nanocomposite coatings accelerate bone healing:In vivo evaluation

Abstract

poly (lactide-co-glycolide)/bioactive glass/hydroxyapatite (PBGHA) and poly (lactide-co-glycolide)/

bioactive glass (PBG) nanocomposite coatings with bone.

Materials and Methods: Sol-gel derived 58S bioactive glass nanoparticles, 50/50 wt% poly (lactic

acid)/poly (glycolic acid) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were used to prepare the coatings. The

nanocomposite coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and

atomic force microscopy. Mechanical stability of the prepared nanocomposite coatings was studied

during intramedullary implantation of coated Kirschner wires (K-wires) into rabbit tibia. Titanium

mini-screws coated with nanocomposite coatings and without coating were implanted intramedullary

in rabbit tibia. Bone tissue interaction with the prepared nanocomposite coatings was evaluated

30 and 60 days after surgery. The non-parametric paired Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis tests were

used to compare the samples. For all tests, the level of signifi cance was P < 0.05.

Results: The results showed that nanocomposite coatings remained stable on the K-wires with a

minimum of 96% of the original coating mass. Tissue around the coated implants showed no adverse

reactions to the coatings. Woven and trabecular bone formation were observed around the coated

samples with a minimum infl ammatory reaction. PBG nanocomposite coating induced more rapid

bone healing than PBGHA nanocomposite coating and titanium without coating (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: It was concluded that PBG nanocomposite coating provides an ideal surface for

bone formation and it could be used as a candidate for coating dental and orthopedic implants.

Key Words: Bioactive, biocompatibility, biodegradable, nanocomposite coating, surgery