INVESTIGATION OF NOVEL BIOACTIVE ORTHOPAEDIC MATERIAL FUNCTIONALIZATIONS TO TARGET BONE-IMPLANT INTEGRATION IN OSTEOPOROTIC BONE

Abstract

Osteoporotic bone, which has porous architecture due to pathophysiological imbalance, poses a recurring challenge for bone-implant integration. In this work, localized delivery systems for osteogenic molecules such as estradiol (E2) and strontium ions (Sr) were investigated. Localised delivery of these molecules at bone-implant interface, either via surface immobilization or encapsulation in electrospun fibre meshes is hypothesized to promote osseointegration. E2 and Sr differ in their molecular structures and physiochemical properties. Therefore, respective localized delivery approaches befitting the physio-chemical properties of these molecules were utilized. Mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles were modified to load hydrophobic molecule such as E2, to be electrospun with silk fibroin to produce microfibrous mesh. For positively charged Sr, polyphenol tannic acid coating that is negatively charged and bioactive was used for ion immobilization on the titanium surface. The modified biomaterials augmented osteoblast activity but decreased osteoclast development, and may be promising for future clinical applications.