Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Composites for Hard Tissue Repair

Bone is the most implanted tissue after blood. The major solid components of human bone are collagen (a natural polymer, also found in skin and tendons) and a substituted hydroxyapatite (a natural ceramic, also found in teeth). Although these two components when used separately provide a relatively successful mean of augmenting bone growth, the composite of the two natural materials exceeds this success. This paper provides a review of the most common routes to the fabrication of collagen (Col) and hydroxyapatite (HA) composites for bone analogues. The regeneration of diseased or fractured bones is the challenge faced by current technologies in tissue engineering. Hydroxyapatite and collagen composites…