Bone ingrowth requires materials with the existence of open and interconnected pores with diameters larger than 150 µm for proper circulation of nutrients. Such materials must possess enough mechanical strength to avoid failure whilst offering a bioactive surface for bone regeneration. We have developed porous ceramic alumina scaffold with compressive strength that achieves 3.3 MPa by replication method by using the network structure of cellular polymer foam. However, the biocompatibility of ceramics based on Al2O3 requires further improvement so that it could have strong bonding to natural bone tissue. To address this problem of the interface between alumina and bone, we have developed a novel calcium phosphate with Zn2+ (CaP-Zn) coating onto porous alumina ceramic scaffold by impregnating with calcium phosphate/poly(vinyl alcohol) slurry. The tri-dimensional alumina scaffold coated with CaP-Zn was extensively characterized by SEM, EDS and FTIR.

This paper presents the chemical and physical characterizations of SiO2 and SiO2-CaO bioactive glasses incorporated with samarium atoms, produced by sol-gel synthesis. The objective is to provide biocompatible and biodegradable radioactive seeds as an alternative to be used in Brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. The glasses were produced and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), He picnometry and nitrogen adsorption analysis. A theoretical evaluation of the specific activity of the samples upon neutron activation is proposed. The XRF and EDS results demonstrate the incorporation of samarium atoms in the glass matrix. The experimental data coupled with the theoretical studies in neutron activation suggest that it is possible to obtain radioactive seeds with activities equivalent to 125I seeds used in brachytherapy prostatic.