PMID- 29094503 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20190527 LR - 20190527 IS - 1552-4965 (Electronic) IS - 1549-3296 (Linking) VI - 106 IP - 3 DP - 2018 Mar TI - Absorbable mineral nanocomposite for biomedical applications: Influence of homogenous fiber dispersity on mechanical properties. PG - 850-857 LID - 10.1002/jbm.a.36284 [doi] AB - Electrospun micro- and nanosized fibers are frequently used as reinforcing elements in low temperature ceramic composites for biomedical applications. Electrospinning of fibers yield, however, not individual fibers, but rather fiber-mats that are difficult to separate. Most investigations have been performed on diced mats and highly nonhomogenous composites. We examined the influence of dispersed electrospun single micro- and nanometer fibers on the mechanical properties of calcium phosphate cement composites. Absorbable poly-l-lactic-acid was electrospun yielding fibers with diameters of 244 +/- 78 nm, named nanofibers (NF), and 1.0 +/- 0.3 mum, named microfibers (MF). These fibers were cut using a particle assisted ultrasonication process and dispersed with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and composites of low (5%) and high (30%) NF/MF content were engineered. The homogeneity of the fiber distribution was investigated by analyzing fracture areas regarding the number of fibers and Voronoi area size distribution. Variation of fiber distribution was significantly lower in the NF group as compared to the MF group. For composites containing 5% NF (V/V), an eightfold increase in the compressive fracture strength, and for the 30% NF (V/V) a threefold increase compared was measured. The composite containing 5% NF was identified as optimal regarding fiber distribution and strength. Our new method of engineering these composites allows for high volume fractions of NF with low variation in fiber distribution to be incorporated into composites, and shows the importance of using single filaments as reinforcing agents. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 850-857, 2018. CI - (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. FAU - Mulky, Elias AU - Mulky E AD - RMS Foundation, Bischmattstrasse 12, Bettlach, Switzerland. AD - Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen, 9014, Switzerland. FAU - Maniura-Weber, Katharina AU - Maniura-Weber K AD - Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen, 9014, Switzerland. FAU - Frenz, Martin AU - Frenz M AD - Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, Bern, 3012, Switzerland. FAU - Fortunato, Giuseppino AU - Fortunato G AD - Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen, 9014, Switzerland. FAU - Luginbuehl, Reto AU - Luginbuehl R AD - Department of Biomedical Material Research, University of Bern, Bern, 3002, Switzerland. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20171227 PL - United States TA - J Biomed Mater Res A JT - Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A JID - 101234237 RN - 0 (Minerals) SB - IM MH - Biomedical Technology/*methods MH - Compressive Strength MH - *Mechanical Phenomena MH - Minerals/*chemistry MH - Nanocomposites/*chemistry MH - Nanofibers/chemistry/ultrastructure MH - Stress, Mechanical MH - X-Ray Diffraction OTO - NOTNLM OT - absorbable OT - calcium phosphate cement OT - composite OT - electrospinning OT - nanofibers EDAT- 2017/11/03 06:00 MHDA- 2019/05/28 06:00 CRDT- 2017/11/03 06:00 PHST- 2017/06/12 00:00 [received] PHST- 2017/10/17 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2017/10/26 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2017/11/03 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2019/05/28 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2017/11/03 06:00 [entrez] AID - 10.1002/jbm.a.36284 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - J Biomed Mater Res A. 2018 Mar;106(3):850-857. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.36284. Epub 2017 Dec 27.