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Based on these properties, Bioglass-based products are clinically approved and currently used for dental, craniofacial, and maxillofacial bone defect repair applications.

Apatite mineral development on the surface of Bioglass has been explored extensively and occurs due to degradation and ionic interactions at the surface of the Bioglass, , ]. The major advantage of using Bioglass is its interaction with host tissue to promote bonding with soft as well as hard tissues. Bioglass served as the first bioactive material, primarily due to its ability to form hydroxyapatite or bone mineral when exposed to simulated body fluids in vitro or implanted in vivo, , ]. Amorphous silica is the major constituent of Bioglass along with network-forming or modifying elements, such as calcium oxide (CaO) and phosphorous pentoxide (P 2O 5). Extending the methodology reported here to alter matrix properties may lead to a variety of tissue engineering, implant, and drug delivery applications.īioglass is one of the widely accepted biomaterials of the 20th century, , ]. Amorphous silica fiber biomaterials/matrices reported here are biodegradable and porous and closely resemble the native extracellular matrix structure and water absorption capacity. These fiber matrices supported human mesenchymal stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and mineralized matrix production. All matrices absorbed 500 wt% of water and did not change in their overall morphology, size, or shape with hydration. These matrices lost roughly 30% of their original mass in an in vitro degradation study over 40 weeks. The PVA additive morphologically appeared to fuse the silica fibers to a greater extent and resulted in significantly higher compressive modulus and strength than the rest of the matrices synthesized. PVA addition to silica significantly reduced the pore diameter and porosity compared with silica matrices with or without the addition of CF. The matrices presented pores in the range of 50–200 μm while higher sintering temperatures resulted in increased pore diameter. The resulting matrices formed between sintering temperatures of 1,350–1,550 ☌ retained their fiber structures. The effects of sacrificial polymer additives such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose fibers (CF) on the sintering process were also studied. Amorphous silica fibers were fused by sintering to produce porous matrices. Herein we report on the synthesis and characterization of novel amorphous silica fiber matrices to overcome these limitations. Silica biomaterials including Bioglass offer great biocompatibility and bioactivity but fail to provide pore and degradation features needed for tissue engineering.

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