In Vitro and Ex Vivo Analysis of Collagen Foams for Soft and Hard Tissue Regeneration

BACKGROUND/AIMThe aim of this study was the conception, production, material analysis and cytocompatibility analysis of a new collagen foam for medical applications. MATERIALS AND METHODSAfter the innovative production of various collagen sponges from bovine sources, the foams were analyzed ex vivo in terms of their structure (including pore size) and in vitro in terms of cytocompatibility according to EN ISO 10993-5/-12. In vitro, the collagen foams were compared with the established soft and hard tissue materials cerabone and Jason membrane (both botiss biomaterials GmbH, Zossen, Germany). RESULTSCollagen foams with different compositions were successfully produced from bovine sources. Ex vivo, the foams showed a stable and long-lasting primary structure quality with a bubble area of 1,000 to 2,000 μm2 In vitro, all foams showed sufficient cytocompatibility. CONCLUSIONCollagen sponges represent a promising material for hard and soft tissue regeneration. Future studies could focus on integrating and investigating different additives in the foams.