Bone Tissue: A Relationship Between Micro and Nano Structural Composition and its Corresponding Electrostatic Properties with Applications in Tissue Engineering

Bone is a calcified tissue, which shows a complex structure both at the micro and nano levels, including cells, collagen fibers, and an extra cellular calcified matrix. Bone has remarkable mechanical properties that allow it to support the entire body, showing rigidity with very high tensile and compressive strength but at the same time, increased flexibility. Bone is one of the most dynamic tissues in the body, responding to injuries with very fast healing. The collagen fiber matrix comprises about 25-30 % of bone tissue mass and has an important role in not allowing the bone to break or snap. The mineralized component (about 65 % of the bone mass) is mainly formed of calcium phosphate, called hydroxyapatite, and gives bone its toughness and rigidity. Electrostatic measurements involving bone tissues of various compositions showed a high response to friction charging against different materials. The charge to mass ratios for bone particles with diameters ranging from 200 nm to 2 mum were found to be highly dependent upon the charging material. We also determined a direct correlation between the electrostatic behavior of the bone particles and their substructure, which was then analyzed by electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and other analytical methods. The results indicated the possibility of using electrostatic processes to generate scaffolds that can be used in bone tissue engineering.