A hydroxyapatite (HA,10 wt%) and polyurethane (PU) composite as a guided bone regeneration (GBR)membrane was obtained from the polycondensation or polyaddition of diisocyanates and hydroxyl groups by a solvent evaporation method. The structure and properties of the membrane were investigated by XRD, IR, SEM, water absorption, wettability and a cell culture test in vitro. The results show that hydroxyapatite particles were dispersed uniformly in the polyurethane matrix and interfacial bonding between hydroxyapatite and polyurethane was formed. The hydroxyapatite/polyurethane membrane has good hydrophilicity and the surface pores can promote cell adhesion and growth. MTT (3-{4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl}-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and light microscopy observation indicate that the hydroxyapatite/polyurethane membrane demonstrates excellent biocompatibility. The hydroxyapatite/polyurethane membrane will hopefully be selected as a guided bone regeneration and tissue engineering.

Keywords: Hydroxyapatite, Polyurethane, Composite membrane, Characterization, Biocompatiblity.