COMPOSITE BASED ON GLASS FIBRES AND SILOXANE MATRIX AS A BONE REPLACEMENT

A composite material, based on glass fibres and a siloxane matrix, was designed for application in bone surgery. On the composite surface, open pores were produced, the sizes of which were in the range 0.2-0.4 mm, 0.4-0.6 mm, and > 0.6 mm, and the matrix was enriched with hydroxyapatite (HAp) powder of 5 micron grain size. Samples of the composite were tested mechanically and for wettability, and their biological properties were tested in vitro and in vivo, complemented by tests of the composite-bone tissue interfacial bonding strength. A simple method is suggested for preparing a composite based on inexpensive biologically-neutral components, which displays mechanical properties similar to those of human bone and can be used in the form of elements where no adherence to the human bone is desirable, e.g., bone plates for internal osteosynthesis of long bones. When the composite structure is modified by adding HAp and creating optimal open pores (0.4-0.6 mm) on the composite surface, stimulation of the adhesion of the bone cells to the composite increases and this can be successfully used in applications of fill-in and replacement elements. 29 refs.