In vitro and in vivo evaluation of a nHA/PA66 membrane for guided bone regeneration

A nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 (nHA/PA66) composite with good bioactivity and osteoconductivity is employed to develop a novel porous membrane with an asymmetric structure. In order to investigate the biocompatibility and the effect on guided bone regeneration (GBR) of nHA/PA66 porous membrane, the proliferation, viability, morphology and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) of the osteoblast-like cell line (MG63) cultured on the membrane were studied in vitro. In vivo biocompatibility and osteogenesis of the fabricated membrane were assessed by comparing guiding rats calvarial bone defects regeneration with "gold standard" GBR material, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) membrane. In vitro experiments showed that the nHA/PA66 composite membrane had good cell affinity and cytocompatibility, in favor of cell proliferation. The in vivo study showed that the nHA/PA66 asymmetric porous membrane had a good GBR effect. All the results indicate that the asymmetric porous nHA/PA66 composite GBR membrane with good biocompatibility, high bioactivity and osteoconductivity exhibits good GBR effect and has a potential to be applied in GBR fields, especially in dental tissue regeneration. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011