Bone tissue restoration by nanoscale features of biomaterials

Abstract

From a biomechanical point of view, bone tissue itself can be described as a nanocomposite of organic (mainly collagen) and inorganic (mainly calcium phosphates) components hierarchically organized from the nano- to the macroscale. Nanostructured biomaterials mimicking the native bone architecture are a new tendency in orthopedic technology since they play a cardinal role in bone regeneration: their chemical and structural similarity to the natural tissue and their comparable size to biomolecules and bio-microstructures provide with enormous possibilities to induce desirable biological responses. Along this chapter, an overview of the current knowledge of bone tissue regeneration is discussed focusing on the importance of nanometer-sized entities, their structure and chemical aspects that might enhance bone healing. Consequently, high emphasis is concentrated on the existing state of the art in nanotechnology in order to be able to narrow the gap between current design strategies and submicron tissue elements to obtain new biomaterials with improved properties.