Use of the Molecular Precursor Method to Facilitate Thin Hydroxyapatite Coating of Titanium Fiber Web Scaffold and Enhance Bone Formation: An Experimental Study in Rat Cranial Bone Defects

Purpose: This study evaluated the bone-regeneration properties of titanium fiber web (TW) that had been coated with a thin hydroxyapatite (HA) layer using the molecular precursor method. Materials and Methods: TW disks with or without the thin HA coating were implanted into rat cranial bone defects. The rats were sacrificed after 3 or 6 weeks. New bone formation into the TW was evaluated. Results: The porous structure of TW was clearly maintained after the HA coating was applied. In the HA-coated TW group, new woven bone was observed in the majority of the disks after 6 weeks, whereas the control (uncoated TW) group showed limited new bone formation in the interior. The bone formation ratio in the HA-coated group was significantly higher than in the control group (20.6% and 59.1% after 3 and 6 weeks, respectively, versus 2.0% and 15.5%, respectively; P .05). Conclusions: The molecular precursor method of applying a thin HA coating to TW appeared to effectively enhance new bone formation through maintenance of TW porosity and promotion of osteoconductivity in the TW three-dimensional scaffold. Keywords: bone scaffold, hydroxyapatite coating, molecular precursor method, porosity, titanium fiber web