Papers by Author: Myun Whan Ahn

Abstract: A collagen material was chemically grafted on hydroxyapatite (HA) to enhance bone cell attachment because the collagen is a major constituent of connective tissues and has been regarded as one of the most excellent coating materials for bone bonding. First, HA disks were prepared with 12mm diameter and 1mm thickness. And then collagen (type I) was immobilbized on the HA surface using a 3-APTES coupling agent on HA disk surfaces. MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were seeded on the collagen-grafted and non-grated HA disks and cultured for 4 hrs to evaluate the cell adhesion on the HA discs. The Attached cell morphology on discs was observed with a fluorescent optical microscopy (FOM) and a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The osteoblasts on the collagen-grafted sample were more spread than those on the non-grafted sample. It is believed that collagen-grafted HA surface provides suitable sites for cell attaching due to the high biocompatibility of collagen.

Abstract: OH groups on hydroxyapatite (HA) and calcium metaphosphate (CMP) were evaluated by grafting tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-aminopropyltriethyloxysilane (3-APTES) which can bond covalently with OH group of ceramic biomaterials. The prepared HA and CMP disks were soaked in pH 2 and 5 of acidic water and ethanol solution respectively, where pH change of each solution was measured during soaking of samples. After grafting TEOS and 3-APTES on HA and CMP disks, samples were ultrasonically cleaned in distilled water and soaked in pH 5 of ethanol solution, and pH measurement was carried out in the same manner. The pH value of HA and CMP in aqueous solution at pH 2 increased with time continuously, resulting from dissolution of HA and CMP by acidic condition on surface. At pH 5 in aqueous solution, it was the same though the pH increase was smaller. In case of ethanol at pH 5 with HA, though pH value went up slightly, the curve became saturated with time, while there was no change in pH with CMP. After grafting TEOS and 3-APTES, pH values were stabilized with few changes, indicating that there was no direct chemical reaction between the acidic media and the surface of samples due to covalently grafted TEOS and 3-APTES layer. In conclusion, it was confirmed that OH group on the surface of HA was crystallographic and chemical one rather than physically adsorbed one by grafting TEOS or 3-APTES and it will serve an effective binding site for calcium and phosphate ions, or minerals.

Abstract: The adhesion of bone cells on substrate materials is generally measured by the removal torque and/or contact area between bone and implants. In this study, collagen was used as a surfacegrafting material on hydroxyapatite (HA) substrates to enhance the cell adhesion because the collagen is a major constituent of connective tissues and has been regarded as one of the most excellent coating materials for bone bonding. First, HA disks (10mmΦ x 1mm) were prepared and then collagen was immobilbized on the HA surface using an 3-APTES coupling agent to improve the adhesiveness of cells on HA disk surfaces. NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were seeded on the collagengrafted and non-grated HA disks and cultured in a Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum for 3 hrs to evaluate the cell adhesion on the HA samples. The fibroblasts on the collagen-grafted sample were more spread than those on the non-grafted sample. It is believed that collagen-grafted HA surface provides suitable sites for cell attaching due to the high biocompatibility of collagen.