Login / Signup

Silk-Fabric Reinforced Silk for Artificial Bones.

Linlin LuXuqing LiuYan SunShujuan WangJiantao LiuShengbo GeTongxue WeiHaiyang ZhangJinhui SuYingying ZhangWei Fan
Published in: Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) (2024)
Bone implants for different body parts require varying mechanical properties, dimensions, and biodegradability rates. Currently, it is still challenging to produce artificial bones with perfect compatibility with human bones. In this study, we report a silk-fabric reinforced silk material (SFS) composed of pure silk with exceptional biocompatibility, osteogenesis and biodegradability, and demonstrate its outstanding performance as a bone implant material. The SFS was fabricated using a simple hot-pressing technique, with degummed silk fabric as the reinforcement and silk fibroin as the matrix. The SFS as a self-reinforced composite, has exceptional mechanical properties due to the almost perfect interface between the matrix and reinforcement. More importantly, its mechanical properties, biodegradability rates and density can be tailored by adjusting the reinforcement structure and the ratio of the reinforcement to the matrix to align with the requirements for bone implantation in different parts of the human body. Besides, the SFS can improve osteoblastic proliferation and increase osteogenic activity, which is not the case with clinically used titanium alloy artificial bone. Therefore, the SFS holds significant potential to replace conventional metal or ceramic implants in the field of medical fracture repair. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keyphrases