L. Calandrelli et al., Preparation and characterisation of composites based on biodegradable polymers for "in vivo" application, POLYMER, 41(22), 2000, pp. 8027-8033
Poly(L-lactic) acid (PLLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), three different copolym
ers based on poly(L-lactic) acid and polyglycolic acid (PLLA-co-PGA), and t
heir composites with hydroxyapatite obtained from bovine bone (ossein), wer
e tested in order to have information on the thermal, morphological, mechan
ical and biochemical properties in view of their use as biocompatible/biode
gradable materials. Ossein, which is essentially a biological hydroxyapatit
e, was found to improve the modulus and increase the hydrophilicity of the
polymeric substrate. In addition, the size of the ossein particles was foun
d to be critical for the improvement of mechanical properties. Finally, pre
liminary results on the in vitro biocompatibility of selected blends carrie
d out by using primary cultures of human osteoblasts showed that the presen
ce of hydroxyapatite stimulates a more positive cellular response. (C) 2000
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.