# Biodegradable Matrices for Bone Healing

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · 2020 · $406,469

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: Biodegradable Matrices for Bone Healing
More than 6.5 million orthopaedic procedures require the use of grafts to repair bone defects every year in the
US alone. Repair of large bone defects is a challenging problem in reconstructive surgery. Several bone graft
options including autografts, allografts, and biodegradable porous scaffolds have been routinely used in the clinics
with limited success. For example, tissue ingrowth is limited to the surface in bone tissue engineering scaffolds
(BTE) because of poor access to cells and nutrients within scaffolds. The porosity that is necessary to support
tissue ingrowth in BTE scaffolds results in sub-optimal mechanical properties of these materials for orthopedic
applications. Therefore, there is a need to develop BTE scaffolds which will fulfill the requirements of both porosity
necessary for tissue ingrowth and vascularization, and optimal mechanical properties necessary for load bearing.
In addition, osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteointegrative properties will improve the success of bone
graft materials. Our ongoing studies and publications have demonstrated the feasibility of developing
mechanically strong non-porous composite scaffolds from materials with differential degradation profiles that
result in the progressive formation of interconnected pores within the composite material allowing tissue ingrowth
over a period of time (1, 2). Likewise, using spirally structured scaffolds we have shown that geometry can be
designed to promote cell proliferation, infiltration, and homogenous mineralized matrix deposition throughout the
scaffold architecture (3-6). These mechanically stable initially non-porous scaffolds were able to support bone
ingrowth due to evolving porous architecture via matrix degradation in rat calvarial defects and rabbit segmental
bone defects without inclusion of growth factors and cells. Based on these findings we hypothesize that by altering
scaffold composition and geometry we will be able to create BTE scaffolds with programmable mechanical
strength and porous structure to better serve the bone healing requirements at load bearing sites. The research
project will have the four following phases: Aim 1: To optimize material composition and geometry to achieve
necessary mechanical stability and progressive degradation for load-bearing bone-healing applications. Aim 2:
To understand the effect of scaffold degradation on human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs)
adhesion, infiltration, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralized matrix production. Aim 3: To assess in vivo
biocompatibility and dynamic pore formation within the scaffolds. Aim 4: To evaluate the bone healing ability of
scaffolds with different geometry and mechanical strength in a critical size segmental defect in the rabbit ulna.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9949707
- **Project number:** 5R01EB020640-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT
- **Principal Investigator:** Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $406,469
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-04 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9949707

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9949707, Biodegradable Matrices for Bone Healing (5R01EB020640-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9949707. Licensed CC0.

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