Mechanical properties and osteogenic potential of hydroxyapatite-PLGA-collagen biomaterial for bone regeneration

AbstractA bone graft is a complicated structure that provides mechanical support and biological signals that regulate bone growth, reconstruction, and repair. A single-component material is inadequate to provide a suitable combination of structural support and biological stimuli to promote bone regeneration. Multicomponent composite biomaterials lack adequate bonding among the components to prevent phase separation after implantation. We have previously developed a novel multistep polymerization and fabrication process to construct a nano-hydroxyapatite-poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)-collagen biomaterial (abbreviated nHAP-PLGA-collagen) with the components covalently bonded to each other. In the present study, the mechanical properties and osteogenic potential of nHAP-PLGA-collagen are characterized to assess the material’s suitability to support bone regeneration. nHAP-PLGA-collagen films exhibit tensile strength very close to that of human cancellous bone. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are viable...