Abstract:

Cartilage and/or bone tissue engineering is a very challenging area in modern medicine. Since cartilage is an avascular tissue with limited capacity for self-repair, using scaffolds provides a promising option for the repair of severe cartilage damage caused by trauma, age-related degeneration, and/or diseases. Our aim in this study was to design a model for a functional biomedical membrane to form the interface between a cartilage-forming scaffold and bone. To realize such a membrane gelatin gels contg. calcium or phosphate ions were exposed from one side to a soln. of the other constituent ion (i.e., a sodium phosphate soln. was allowed to diffuse into a calcium-contg. gel and vice versa). The partially calcified gels were analyzed by XRD, ATR-FTIR spectra, E-SEM, and EDX. Thus, we confirmed the existence of a gradient of crystals, with a dense top layer, extending several micrometers into the gel. XRD spectra and Ca/P at. ratios confirmed the existence of calcium deficient apatites. The effect of different exptl. parameters on the calcification process within the gelatin membranes has been elucidated. It was shown that increasing the gelatin concn. from 5 wt % to 10 wt. % retards calcification. A similar effect was obsd. when glycerol, which is frequently used as plasticizer, was added to the system. With increasing calcium concn. within the org. matrix, the quantity and d. of calcium phosphate crystals over/within the gel increased. The possible explanations for the above phenomena are discussed. [on SciFinder(R)]