Abstract

Guided bone regeneration is commonly applied in clinical dental practice for alveolar bone reconstruction. The objective of this work was to develop nanostructured membranes with chitosan, hydrotalcite and sodium alendronate for guided bone regeneration. Low, medium and high molecular weight chitosan membranes were prepared containing hydrotalcite or nanoparticulate hydrotalcite and sodium alendronate added directly in the polymer matrix or interlayered between clay lamellae. The membranes were analyzed for nanocomposite formation by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analyses, and water absorption and tensile strength were also assessed. In vitro assays using Saos-2 cells checked the biocompatibility, cell viability and osteo-induction potential of the membranes. The chitosan and hydrotalcite physical mixture membrane series did not form nanocomposites and collapsed in the water absorption test. Membranes with nanoparticulate hydrotalcite with sodium alendronate interspersed formed nanocomposites and showed good profile of water absorption and tensile strength. All nanocomposite membranes were biocompatible and demonstrated potential for osteo-induction in vitro. The membranes of the nanoparticulate hydrotalcite series presented the best performance in the in vitro assays, especially the membrane formed with low and medium molecular weight chitosan, representing a potential new therapy for guided bone regeneration, which should be tested in vivo in near future.

Key words: Chitosan, guided bone regeneration, hydrotalcite, membrane, nanocomposite, sodium alendronate