Controlled degradation pattern of hydroxyapatite/calcium carbonate composite microspheres.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is widely used in clinic due to its good biocompatibility and osteoconductivity except for its slow degradation speed. In the present study, spherical calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) is fabricated in the presence of silk protein sericin, which is transmuted into HAP microsphere in phosphate solution with the assistance of microwave irradiation. The effect of reaction conditions on the conversion of CaCO3 is investigated including reaction time, chemical composition of phosphate solution, and microwave power to get a series of HAP/CaCO3 composites. The degradation property of the composites is evaluated in vitro. Results show the degradation speed of the composite with higher HAP content is slower. The degradation rate of the composite could be changed effectively by modulating the proportion of HAP and CaCO3 . This work provides a feasible method for the preparation of spherical HAP/CaCO3 composite with controllable degradability. The composite thus obtained may be an ideal material for bone tissue engineering application. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:518-524, 2016.