Treating bone defects in the presence of infection is a formidable clinical challenge. The use of a biomaterial with the dual function of bone regeneration and infection control is a novel therapeutic approach to this problem. In this study, we fabricated an innovative, dual-function biocomposite hydrogel containing nanosilver and nanosilica (nAg/nSiO2) particles and evaluated its characteristics using FT-IR, SEM, swelling ratio, and stiffness assays. The in vitro antibacterial analysis showed that this nAg/nSiO2 hydrogel inhibited both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, this nontoxic material could promote osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). We then created infected bone defects in rat calvaria in order to evaluate the function of the hydrogel in vivo. The hydrogel demonstrated effective antibacterial ability while promoting bone regeneration in these defects. Our results indicate that this nAg/nSiO2 hydrogel has the potential to both control infection and to promote bone healing in contaminated defects.
Keywords: bone defects; hydrogel; infection; nanosilica; nanosilver.