A bioactive titanium foam scaffold for bone repair

While titanium has been clinically successful as an orthopedic or dental implant material, performance problems still persist related to implant–bone interfacial strength and mechanical modulus mismatch between titanium and tissue. We describe here the preparation of a titanium foam as a better mechanical match to tissue with surfaces attractive to bone cells through deposition of an organically-modified apatite layer (organoapatite). In a rotating bioreactor, these organoapatite-coated foams are successfully colonized by preosteoblastic cells. Finite element analyses suggest that ingrown tissue in these systems may improve both implant performance and tissue formation through load-sharing and stress distribution. The novel metal–ceramic–polymer hybrid materials described here hold great promise for bone tissue engineering.