Bioinspired structure of bioceramics for bone regeneration in load-bearing sites

The major problem with the use of porous bioceramics as bone regeneration grafts is their weak mechanical strength, which has not been overcome to date. Here we described a novel way to solve this problem. Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) bioceramics with a bioinspired structure were designed and prepared with a porous cancellous core (porosity: 70–90%) inside and a dense compact shell (porosity: 5–10%) outside that mimics the characteristics of natural bone. They showed excellent mechanical properties, with a compressive strength of 10–80 MPa and an elastic modulus of 180 MPa–1.0 GPa, which could be tailored by the dense/porous cross-sectional area ratio obeying the rule of exponential growth. The in vitro degradation of the bioinspired bioceramics was faster than that of dense bioceramics but slower than that of porous counterparts. The changes in mechanical properties of the bioinspired ceramics during in vitro degradation were also investigated. A concept of the bioinspired macrostructure design of natural bone was proposed which provided a simple but effective way to increase the mechanical properties of porous bioceramics for load-bearing bone regeneration applications. It should be readily applicable to other porous materials.