The Essential Role of Calcium Phosphate Bioceramics in Bone Regeneration

Abstract

Various bioceramics or xenograft has been used to avoid autograft. However, there are large differences in the chemistry, the micro- and macrostructure, and consequently the performance in terms of resorption, absorption, and regeneration of physiological bone. The differences in such available bioceramics were reported and critical data presented. Recent developments related to CaP scaffolds including improvements in terms of engineering chemistry, surface properties, microstructure, and porosities, which lead them to be considered as being bioinstructive rather than osteoconductive scaffolds, have opened up new opportunities for bone regenerative technologies. Not only are some of these CaP bioceramics scaffolds osteoinductive in their own right, but evidence also supports the hypothesis that specific engineering bioceramics have a direct influence on the differentiation and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Tissue engineering, new bioactive molecules, and new surgical technologies increase the potential application of CaP bioceramics as carriers of these cells and also as scaffolds capable of guiding the behavior of these cells and the efficiency of bone regeneration. If the smart bioinstructive CaP scaffold technology led to a higher efficacy of CaP scaffolds, it would allow further surgical applications in bone tissue regeneration. The mechanical properties required for bone ingrowth and bone remodeling and mechanotransduction must be explored to allow for development of new generation scaffolds.