Guided bone regeneration (GBR) technique using a barrier membrane holds great potential to allow the single-stage reconstruction of critical-sized bone defects. Here, bioactive nanoneedle-like magnesium oxychloride ceramics (MOCs) are synthesized and recruited as an osteoinductive factor within a polycaprolactone-gelatin A (PCL-GelA) membranous matrix to generate a periosteum-mimicking biphasic GBR membrane (PCL-GelA/MOC) to accelerate calvarial defect repair. The PCL-GelA/MOC membrane acts as a shield for defect areas and a reservoir of osteoinductive molecules, which provides a favorable microenvironment for supporting cell proliferation, infiltration, and differentiation. This membrane leads to accelerated osteogenesis and angiogenesis, effectual defect bridging, and significantly enhanced bone regeneration when applied to a 5 mm sized rat calvarial defect. This makes this innovative and multifunctional GBR membrane a suitable candidate for clinical applications with promising curative efficacy.
Keywords: critical-sized defect; guided bone regeneration; magnesium oxychloride bioceramic; periosteum-inspired membrane.