Fabrication and biological evaluation of poly(amino acid)/bioactive glass/quartz fiber (PAA/BG/QF) composites with potential for bone defect repair

Developing biomaterials with high osteogenic activity and mechanical properties comparable to cortical bone is critical for repairing load-bearing bone defects. Poly(amino acid) (PAA), with its excellent biocompatibility and collagen-like structure, shows great potential as a biomaterial. In this study, PAA was synthesized via melt copolymerization, and bioactive glass (BG) with high osteogenic activity was uniformly dispersed in the PAA matrix using solution co-deposition. High-strength quartz fibers (QF) were added to form PAA/BG/QF composites. Amongst, the P/20BG-20QF composite exhibited bending strength (174.7 MPa), bending modulus (8.8 GPa), compressive strength (135.1 MPa) and compressive modulus (3.7 GPa) comparable to the lower range of cortical bone. In vitro analysis showed low degradation (1.1 %), optimal pH (7.2) and no surface cracks, indicating lasting stability. Cell compatibility tests and osteogenic gene expression further confirmed the potential of P/20BG-20QF composites as implants for low-load-bearing bone defect repair.