Materials for tissue regeneration in systemically diseased bone
This Collaborative Research Project funded by the DFG includes cooperations between the Justus Liebig University Giessen, the Heidelberg University, the German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg, the Technische Universität Dresden, the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (MPI-CPfS). The project high-resolution electron microscopy at MPI-CPfS (Dr. Daniel Grüner, Dr. Paul Simon, Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Kniep) focuses on morphological, ultrastructural and chemical analyses of bone cements and scaffolds based on mineralized collagen as well as three-phase composite materials. High-resolution electron microscopy is used to investigate the influence of bisphosphonates and other modifiers on crystallinity and crystal size of bone cements under in vitro conditions.
Modified bone cements and scaffolds are characterized by electron microscopy prior to implantation and after explantation. Biopsies of healthy and osteoporotic spongious bone (from rat and sheep) are also studied and serve as reference materials. The interfaces between newly formed bone and implant surfaces receive special emphasis in order to investigate biocompatibility and connection between bone and implant. Interfaces can be selectively prepared for electron microscopy by means of ultramicrotomy or Focused Ion Beam milling. Both techniques are available at MPI-CPfS.