Mechanical properties and biological behavior of carbon nanotube/polycarbosilane composites for implant materials.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube/polycarbosilane (MWCNT/PCS) composites were fabricated by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. The MWCNT/PCS composites consisted of MWCNTs and nanosized SiC particles pyrolyzed from PCS and possessing good mechanical properties for bone tissue repair or dental implantation. The MWCNT/PCS composites were implanted in the subcutaneous tissue and femur of rats at 1 and 4 weeks after implantation. Histological investigations showed that there was little inflammatory response in the subcutaneous tissue, and newly formed bone tissue was observed in the femur. These results indicated that the MWCNT/PCS composite had little prophlogistic effect and good osteoconductivity. The study suggested the possibility that the MWCNT/PCS composite could be a candidate bone-substitute and dental-implant material in the future. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 2006.