Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) ceramics are emerging as promising materials for biomedical applications, particularly in bone tissue engineering, due to their outstanding mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and osteoconductivity. This study investigates the potential of Si₃N₄ ceramics by comparing their microstructure and mechanical properties with the demineralized humerus bone of Pitta moluccensis, a bird species known for its lightweight and robust skeletal structure. Using X-ray computed tomography and mercury intrusion porosimetry, the study found that Si₃N₄ ceramics exhibit a porosity of approximately 50 vol%, similar to the 70 vol% porosity in the bird bone. The Si₃N₄ ceramics demonstrated a hardness of 0.4 GPa, a Young’s modulus of 15 GPa, and a compressive strength of 2.9 ± 0.4 MPa, closely matching the 0.3 GPa hardness, 12 GPa Young’s modulus, and 3.5 MPa compressive strength of the bird bone. These findings suggest that Si₃N₄ ceramics, with tailored porosity and mechanical properties, are a viable alternative for bone substitution, particularly in load-bearing applications.

Keywords: Osteointegration, Si₃N₄ ceramics.