Apatite-Wollastonite Bioactive Glass-Ceramic Scaffolds for Hard Tissue Engineering

Apatite-wollastonite bioactive glass-ceramic scaffolds were fabricated from the SiO2-CaO-P2O5 MgO-CaF2 glass system by controlled crystallization between 800 and 1200 degrees C of the melted and quenched glass powder. Wood powder with controlled particle size distribution was used to obtain bioactive glass-ceramic scaffolds by burning-out process during crystallization of glass. Bioactive phases of apatite and wollastonite were found in all crystallized samples but the relative amount depended on the crystallization temperature. The bioactivity was studied via simulated body fluid (SBF) solution from 2 to 12 weeks. After soaking for 2 weeks, a porous hydroxyl-carbonate apatite (HCA) layer formed at the SBF-glass ceramic interface and the HCA layer thickness increased at longer soaking periods. This study led to a promising platform for hard tissue engineering.