Synthesis of a Macroporous Glass-Ceramic Scaffold Containing Fluorapatite Crystalline Phase for Bone Substitutes

Bioactive glass-ceramics play an important role in bone tissue regeneration. In the present research, the crystallization of glasses and scaffold fabrication were investigated. After choosing the appropriate composition in the SiO2-CaO-Na2O-P2O5 system, raw materials were melted at 1400°C and then, quenched in water. Subsequently, the crystallization of synthesized glass samples was studied. Fourier Transfer infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was carried out to study the structural changes of the samples. XRD patterns showed that fluorapatite Ca10(PO4)6(O,F2) was the only precipitated crystalline phase. The template synthesis method was applied for the fabrication of the scaffold and starch as a porogen material. The optimized scaffold structure was chosen with the appropriate size of pores, interconnectivity, and strength behavior through investigating the porosity, SEM images, and mechanical properties. ICP, SEM, and EDX analyses were used to determine the in vitro bioactivity of the samples after immersion for 14 days in SBF.