Chiang Mai Journal of Science

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In this study, porous silicon (pSi), an anodised semiconductor with promising bioactive and biodegradable properties, was incorporated into poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) as a composite. The aim of the study was to investigate its potential use as a bone replacement material for orthopaedic applications in terms of its bioactivity, osteoblast attachment, osteoblast response (long-term mineralisation and expression of phenotypic markers) and macrophage response. PCL and 66% porous silicon composites were prepared at varying concentrations. The results demonstated the bioactive ability of silicon to induce calcium phosphate layers in simulated body fluids (SBF) for all composite concentrations after both 6 and 12 days. Silicic acid release profiles were observed over time, indicating an ability of the composites to leach silicic acid into the medium. The presence of mineral indicates the differentiation of human osteoblast cells for long-term mineralization. Of the phenotypic markers, collagen was found from long-term mineralization. Macrophage response studies indicated that there was no cell toxicity from all of the silicon composites. The results clearly show that the inclusion of porous silicon in a PCL matrix confers bioactive properties without inducing any undesirable macrophage response, suggesting potential for use as a biomaterial for orthopaedic applications.

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