Development and Characterization of Porous Hydroxyapatite Scaffold by Using Polymeric Sponge Method

In recent years, scrupulous attention has been given to the preparation of porous hydroxyapatite (HA). Porous HA exhibits strong bonding to the bone and provide a mechanical interlock leading to a firm fixation of the material. Bone tissue grows well into the pores, increasing strength of the HA implant. Its high surface area leads to excellent osteoconductivity and resorbability providing fast bone ingrowth. This paper briefly describes the preparation of porous HA scaffold by polymeric sponge method for artificial bone application. The technique of saturating a body of porous polyurethane foam with slurry containing HA powder, water and additives was applied and proved to be successful. The characterization of the hydroxyapatite porous scaffolds was assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)