Desenvolvimento e caracterização de membranas de colágeno/ quitosana /apatita de estrôncio para aplicações em regeneração óssea

Abstract

Bone regeneration, especially in critical defects, represents one of the greatest challenges in contemporary medicine, as there is still a lack of affordable biomaterials that combine mechanical, biological, and functional properties within a single platform. This study developed and characterized membranes composed of marine collagen (extracted from tuna skin), chitosan, and strontium apatite gel, designed for applications in bone tissue engineering. The membranes exhibited a porous structure (>70 µm), favorable for cell adhesion and proliferation. Antimicrobial assays revealed significant inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, achieving reductions of 70% and 45%, respectively compared to the control. In cytotoxicity tests, the formulation containing 2% collagen, 2% chitosan, and 1% strontium apatite gel showed the best results, with cell viability 28.4% higher than the control group. Bioactivity studies confirmed the formation of mineral deposits on the membrane surfaces, while degradability tests indicated a mass loss of less than 52% over 90 days. Furthermore, the strontium release analysis demonstrated a gradual and sustained profile throughout the 90-day period. Overall, the results demonstrate that the developed membranes exhibit promising physicochemical, biological, and functional properties for guided bone regeneration applications. However, further mechanical and in vivo studies are recommended to confirm their performance and clinical potential.