Zn2+ and Ag+ Ions Functionalized Bioceramics for Bone Infections Treatment

The aim of this work is to study the possibilities of obtaining hydroxyapatite from bovine bones, a low-value waste of livestock industry, for its employ as therapeutic grafts in bone reconstruction and regeneration, turning it into a material of much greater value and contributing to circular economy. In this work the incorporation of ions with antibacterial activity such as Zn2+ and Ag+ is developed. Pieces and grains of treated bovine bone (hydroxyapatite) were obtained using physical and chemical processes and tested due to their different application possibilities as bone substitutes. Ion immobilizations were made by adsorption in the material surface. Different working concentrations were tested and selected based on the number of ions adsorbed on the material. The kinetic curves were made, and the adsorption equilibrium times were obtained, both for each ion and for the binary combination of them. Due to the importance of the subsequent release of these ions into the tissue, desorption kinetics tests were performed in physiological solution.