Borate based bioactive glass scaffolds for hard and soft tissue engineering

"The main objectives of this dissertation were to evaluate bioactive borate glass scaffolds for hard and soft tissue applications and determine the potential toxicity of the borate glasses on the adjacent and systemic tissues. Porous randomly oriented fiber scaffolds composed of bioactive borate glass were implanted in subcutaneous soft tissue sites and in calvaria defects of laboratory rats and no signs of toxicity (necrotic tissue, increase in macrophages or other immune cells) were detected in any of the adjacent tissues (hard or soft). Systemic organs (kidney and liver) of laboratory rats implanted with bioactive borate scaffolds were analyzed for possible systemic toxicity and no adverse effects were found beyond normal incidental changes. Bone was found to grow statistically better (p<0.05) in bioactive borate glass scaffolds when compared to similar scaffolds composed of borosilicate and silicate based bioactive glasses. For the first time, elements were added to a bioactive glass for the purposes of promoting angiogenesis. The elements copper and zinc were shown to significantly increase the number of blood vessels (p<0.05) present in the soft tissue inside bioactive borate glass scaffolds when compared to the un-doped scaffolds. Bioactive borate glass fibers were also demonstrated as a new material that may be useful in the treatment of chronic wounds. A full thickness cutaneous defect (15mm diameter) on the back of a laboratory rats were healed in similar time (18 days), but with a higher quality scar than the control (untreated wound). The results from the full thickness cutaneous defect opens the door for new potential uses of bioactive borate glass fibers such as the treatment of chronic wounds and severe burns"--Abstract, page v.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D. in Materials Science and Engineering

Grantor

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Jung, Steven B.

• Materials Science and Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/2075

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsmine.mst.edu:doctoral_dissertations-3077