Emulsion Crosslinking as a New Manufacturing Route to Produce Hydroxylapatite Particulates in a Network of Starch

Bioactive particulates with tailored resorption rates can be very useful on biomedical applications such as filling of bone and dentristy defects, carriers for controlled release of bioactive agents and reinforcement in polymer/bioceramic orthopaedic composites. The aim of the present study was to develop a new processing route to produce composite particulates based on hydroxylapatite (HA) and starch. The newly proposed processing route consists on the crosslinking of starch that is able to encapsulate the HA particles creating a composite material with different sizes (from 3000-700 um) which is resorbable and bioactive. This work also involves the characterization of the developed material, as well as the study of the in-vitro degradation and bioactive behaviour of the particulates. The particulate biomaterials have shown to be bioactive even after small immersion periods on a simulated body fluid (SBF). The obtained results (in-vitro) indicate that particulates will be expected to be resorbed when implanted. The developed materials present an interesting combination of morphological and chemical properties that make them potential biomaterials to be used as fillers of bone defects, drug delivery carriers or as reinforcement of bioactive starch-based composites.