Yuki Usui
Department of Orthopaedic surgery Shinshu University Japan

Abstract:

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been used in various fields as composites with other substances or alone to develop highly functional materials.CNTs hold great interest with respect to biomaterials, particularly those to be positioned in contact with bone such as drug delivery systems and/or scaffolding for bone regeneration.
We presently found that multi-walled CNTs adjoining bone induce little local inflammatory reaction, show high bone tissue compatibility, permit bone repair, become integrated into new bone, and accelerate bone formation stimulated by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2.

This study provides an initial investigational basis for use of CNTs in biomaterials used adjacent to bone, including uses to promote bone regeneration.These findings should encourage development of bone regeneration scaffold involving CNTs.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes, bone regeneration, scaffold