Cellulose-reinforced bioglass composite as flexible bioactive bandage to enhance bone healing

Low mechanical strength of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and its lack of osseoconductivity in physiological media limit its application for bone tissue regeneration. To resolve these limitations, the densely packed cellulosic layers with thickness of ~50 μm impregnated by 58S bioglass (BG) nanoparticles was made-up (via the simple method of vacuum filtration) in this study. The developed fabrics showed uniform distribution of BG nanoparticles and effectively wrapped between CNF layers which caused sustained ion release into the SBF × 5 solution. The FTIR spectrum of the fabric after the SBF test was illustrated the presence of newly formed HA on the fabric. Also, no significant difference in the hydrophilicity of pure CNF and the developed fabric was presented by AFM results. Alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and cytotoxicity evaluation were performed to investigate cell treatment of the fabric which indicated its superior osteogenic potential of developed fabric compared with pure CNF. The increase in osseoconductivity of the developed fabric caused better cell attachment thanks to the interconnected CNFs network. Effective integration of BG nanoparticles between CNF interlayers increased Young's modulus of the developed fabric by 50% that mitigated swelling and enhanced structural stability of CNFs in the SBF × 5 solution. Thus, developed fabric could be considered as an appropriate biomaterial such as a bandage around cracked bone before metallic implantation with good mechanical integrity of the layered constructs obtained as well as strength and swelling.