Fabrication of an interconnected porous ¢-tricalcium phosphate structure by polyacrylic acid-mediated setting reaction and sintering

Abstract

¢-tricalcium phosphate (¢-TCP) with interconnected pores is an attractive substitute for bone because it shows excellent tissue response and osteoconductivity. An interconnected porous structure is a key factor for fast osteoconductivity, because it facilitates tissue and cell penetration. However, it is challenging to attach interconnected porous structure to ¢-TCP blocks. In this study, a new, simple, and safe method for fabricating interconnected porous ¢-TCP was developed, based on an analogous dental glass ionomer cement setting reaction. ¢-TCP granules were mixed with polyacrylic acid (PAA) by loading; PAA got bound to these granules and got set to form an interconnected porous structure; the sintering process decomposed PAA and yielded the interconnected porous ¢-TCP structure. Diametral tensile strength and porosity of the fabricated samples were 1.3 « 0.2MPa and 57.6 « 1.1%, respectively. These values of samples were enough value for applying bone substitute. ¢-TCP with interconnected pores synthesized using the novel method described, herein, would be a suitable bone substitute in clinical settings.