Over the last decade, one
of the major goals in bone tissue engineering
has been to develop biodegradable materials as
bone graft substitutes for filling large bone
defects. The class of polymer/ceramic
composite materials has drawn special attention
due to its improved properties over single
component materials [1]. The aim of this study
is to develop 3D scaffolds of
silk/hydroxyapatite (HA) composites with
interconnected pore structure, which would
provide a unique combination of mechanical
stability and stiffness, biocompatibility, and
biodegradability, resulting in an environment
facilitating cell ingrowth, vascularization and
mineralization to match bone repair needs.