Several authors have shown the beneficial role of silicon incorporate into the hydroxyapatite lattice, although, the mechanism behind the enhanced bioactivity of this Si-hydroxyapatite (Si-HA) is poorly understood. The incorporation of Si into the HA lattice alters the surface charge of HA, leading to more negative values. Due to the importance of the surface properties on the interaction between biomaterials, physiological fluids, and the host tissue, it is important to further characterize the surface of Si-HA by determining its surface energy and wettability. Our results showed that the incorporation of Si increased the hydrophilicity of HA, leading to a higher interfacial tension. Another important property for osteointegration is the formation of an apatite layer. The dissolution of Si-HA in the presence of serum-free simulated body fluid (SBF) started at early time points and using atomic force microscopy (AFM) it was possible to observe the dissolution at the grain boundaries and grains. As the dissolutionprecipitation process is much more complex in vivo, we tried to mimic the initial stages of the in vivo reaction by incubating the Si-HA in serum-SBF. It was shown that the dissolution kinetics in serum-SBF was slower when compared to the dissolution in serum free-SBF. At the same time point, no significant dissolution features were observed or apatite layer was visualized. The phase imaging AFM indicated the presence of a layer on top of these materials that could be a proteinaceous layer, as XPS analysis detected an increase on the concentration of nitrogen on the surface of the samples incubated in the presence of proteins.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.