Preparation of porous 45S5 Bioglass-derived glass-ceramic scaffolds by using rice husk as a porogen additive.

Bioactive glass is currently regarded as the most biocompatible material in the bone regeneration field because of its bioactivity, osteoconductivity and even osteoinductivity. In the present work porous glass-ceramic scaffolds, which were prepared from the 45S5 Bioglass by foaming with rice husks and sintering at 1050 degrees C for 1 h, have been developed. The produced scaffolds were characterized for their morphology, properties and bioactivity. Micrographs taken using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for analysis of macropores, mesopores and micropores, respectively. The bioactivity of the porous glass-ceramic scaffolds was investigated using simulated body fluid (SBF) and characterized by SEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A great potential scaffold that provides sufficient mechanical support temporarily while maintaining bioactivity, and that can biodegrade at later stages is achievable with the developed 45S5 Bioglass-derived scaffolds.