Current progress in bioactive ceramic scaffolds for bone repair and regeneration

Abstract

Bioactive ceramics have received great attention in the past decades owing to their success in stimulating cell proliferation, differentiation and bone tissue regeneration. They can react and form chemical bonds with cells and tissues in human body. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the application of bioactive ceramics for bone repair and regeneration. The review systematically summarizes the types and characters of bioactive ceramics, the fabrication methods for nanostructure and hierarchically porous structure, typical toughness methods for ceramic scaffold and corresponding mechanisms such as fiber toughness, whisker toughness and particle toughness. Moreover, greater insights into the mechanisms of interaction between ceramics and cells are provided, as well as the development of ceramic-based composite materials. The development and challenges of bioactive ceramics are also discussed from the perspective of bone repair and regeneration.

Figure 1.

(a,b) Bioactive ceramic (TCP) scaffolds fabricated by SLS; (c) Micro/nanometer-sized porous morphology; and (d) Pore size distribution curve on the etched surface of HAP/TCP (60/40 w/w) ceramic scaffold.

Figure 2.

(a) Surface morphology of TCP ceramic scaffold after immersing in SBF; (b) MG-63 cells on TCP ceramic scaffold doped with 2.5 wt % ZnO.

Figure 3.

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) differentiate to osteoblast on the TCP ceramic scaffold.