Composite membranes made of chitosan and Bioglass®: Monitorization of the mineralization process in real time by using dynamic mechanical analysis

In the orthopedics field, one of the major hurdles that surgeons face on daily basis is the need for bone replacing materials to restore defects that lose capability for self repair. To date, autograft materials remain as the “gold standard” for bone repair; however donor-site morbidity and limitations on the amount of tissue that can be collected have led scientists to search for new materials capable to induce bone repair. In this context, we make use of composite membranes composed of chitosan (CHI) in combination with Bioglass^® (CHI/BG) where their potential to induce a bone-like layer was demonstrated upon immersion in simulated body fluids (SBF). Moreover, we also intended to recreate several environments to predict both the evolution of the membranes properties upon implantation and to have more insight about the mineralization process. Therefore the mineralization process is monitored, in-real time, where the viscoelastic/mechanical properties are followed simultaneously as an apatite layer is formed using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).