biocompatibility study of a hydroxyapatite-alumina and silicon carbide composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering

objective: to date, several scaffolds have been fabricated for application in bone tissue repair. however, there remains a need for synthesis of scaffolds with better mechanical properties, which can be applied to defects in weight-bearing bones. we constructed a composite ceramic bioscaffold of hydroxyapatite-alumina and silicon carbide (ha-al2o3- sic) to take advantage of the mechanical properties of this combination and show that it supports osteoblast-like cell attachment and growth. materials and methods: ceramic composite microporous scaffolds were synthesized using an organic template (commercial polyurethane sponge with an open, interconnected microporosity). osteoblast-like cells (saos-2) were then cultured on the scaffold and their growth pattern and viability were compared with those cultured in cell culture-treated flasks. scanning electron microscopy (sem) was used to assess cell attachment and migration. results: the fabricated scaffold shows fairly uniform pore morphologies. cell growth and viability studies show that the scaffold is able to support osteoblast attachment and growth. however, sem images indicated that the cells do not spread optimally on the scaffold surfaces. conclusion: our data suggest that that a ceramic hydroxyapatite-alumina and silicon carbide composite scaffold is a viable option for bone tissue repair. however, its surface properties should be optimized to maximise the attachment of osteoblasts.