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Effects of sterilisation by high-energy radiation on biomedical poly-(ε-caprolactone)/hydroxyapatite composites

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Abstract

The effects of a high energy sterilization treatment on poly-ε-caprolactone/carbonated hydroxyapatite composites have been investigated. Poly-ε-caprolactone is a biodegradable polymer used as long-term bioresorbable scaffold for bone tissue engineering and carbonated hydroxyapatite is a bioactive material able to promote bone growth. The composites were gamma-irradiated in air or under nitrogen atmosphere with doses ranging from 10 to 50 kGy (i.e. to a value higher than that recommended for sterilization). The effects of the irradiation treatment were evaluated by vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman spectroscopies) coupled to thermal analysis (Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermogravimetry) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy. Irradiation with the doses required for sterilization induced acceptable structural changes and damaging effects: only a very slight fragmentation of the polymeric chains and some defects in the inorganic component were observed. Moreover, the radiation sensitivity of the composites proved almost the same under the two different atmospheres.

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Acknowledgement

We thank Dr. Angelo Alberti and Dr. Giorgio Fuochi (ISOF-CNR) for the critical reading of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry “G. Moruzzi”, Section of Chemistry and Biochemistry Propaedeutics, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 8/2, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Michele Di Foggia & Paola Taddei

  2. Istituto di Sintesi Organica e Fotoreattività (CNR), Via P. Gobetti n° 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    Ugo Corda, Elena Plescia & Armida Torreggiani

Authors
  1. Michele Di Foggia
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  2. Ugo Corda
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  3. Elena Plescia
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Correspondence to Michele Di Foggia or Armida Torreggiani.

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Di Foggia, M., Corda, U., Plescia, E. et al. Effects of sterilisation by high-energy radiation on biomedical poly-(ε-caprolactone)/hydroxyapatite composites. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 21, 1789–1797 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-010-4046-0

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