Gelatine-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites for Orthopaedic Applications

—This study focuses on the preparation and testing of hydroxyapatite-gelatine nanocomposite gels via a sol-gel route and in situ formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) type salts. Four types of gels and foams were prepared with Ca/P molar ratio of 0.43 and 0.86 and hydroxyapatite/gelatine weight ratio of 0.50 and 0.70. Crosslinking of gelatine chains was carried out in 1% glutaraldehyde and dynamic mechanical torsion tests were used to measure the viscoelastic properties of the gels and foams, optimize the crosslinking time and assess their mechanical performance. Optical and atomic force microscopy were used to investigate the micro- and nano-structure of the produced composites: in these studies, it was confirmed that the gels were nanocomposites with a nano-structure very similar to that of bone and several similarities in the microstructural features. The best foams incorporated dual pore size distribution.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: WCE
• Authors: U. Vidyarthi, P. Zhdan, C. Gravanis, C. Lekakou
• Keywords: Ca/P Molar Ratio, Gels, Hydroxyapatite-gelatine Nanocomposite Gels, WCE 2007, WCE 2008