Hydroxyapatite (HA) whisker (HAw) represents a distinct form of HA characterized by its high aspect ratio, offering significant potential for enhancing the mechanical properties of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. However, the limited osteoinductivity of HAw hampers its widespread application. In this investigation, we observed HAw-punctured osteoblast membranes and infiltrated the cell body, resulting in mechanical damage to cells that adversely impacted osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. To address this challenge, we developed nano-zinc oxide particle-modified HAw (nano-ZnO/HAw). Acting as a reinforcing and toughening agent, nano-ZnO/HAw augmented the compressive strength and ductility of the matrix materials. At the same time, the surface modification with nano-ZnO particles improved osteoblast differentiation by reducing the mechanical damage from HAw to cells and releasing zinc ion, the two aspects collectively promoted the osteoinductivity of HAw. Encouragingly, the osteoinductive potential of 5% nano-ZnO/HAw and 10% nano-ZnO/HAw was validated in relevant rat models, demonstrating the efficacy of this approach in promoting new bone formation in vivo. Our findings underscore the role of nano-ZnO particle surface modification in enhancing the osteoinductivity of HAw from a physical standpoint, offering valuable insights into the development of bone substitutes with favorable osteoinductive properties while simultaneously bolstering matrix material strength and toughness.

A novel IPN hydrogel scaffold is prepared by freeze-drying method, in which konjac galactomannan (KGM) and gelatin are physically crosslinked respectively. This scaffold is thermostable, and the structure of this scaffold is analysed by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, and X-ray diffraction method. The FT-IR results show that hydrogen bonds are formed between KGM and gelatin molecules, which hinder the formation of their respective crosslinking. This is consistent with the XRD results that the crystallinity gets lower in the IPN gels compared with pure gelatin and KGM gels. The morphologies of freezedried hydrogels are observed by SEM and the mechanical properties of the scaffolds are tested to analyse the relationship between the structures and properties. Although this novel IPN hydrogel is physical gel, it shows rubber-like performance as chemical gels. And it is nontoxic, so it can be used as the scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering that embedded in human bodies.

The hydroxyapatite (HA) is widely used as bone tissue repair material. The improvement of the antibacterial performance is an aroused general interest. In the present study, the silver ion and nano-zinc oxide modified hydroxyapatite whiskers (HAw) were successfully prepared. The microstructure and the composition of the modified HAw were analyzed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). SEM analysis showed that the length of the whiskers was 70–190 μm, and the aspect ratio was 10–60. With the increase of Ag⁺ content, the length and aspect ratio of the whiskers gradually decreased and incomplete spherical hydroxyapatite appeared. FEEM analysis showed that nano-zinc oxide particles on ZnO/3Ag-HAw surface are evenly distributed; the average particle size is less than 30 nm. XRD analysis showed that after sol-gel and calcination treatment, the nano-zinc oxide phase appeared in the diffraction pattern of ZnO/Ag-HAw. TEM analysis showed that the interplanar spacing of 5Ag-HAw increased slightly. The CCK-8 and cells co-culture assays were used to assess the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells, respectively. The antibacterial abilities of the modified HAw against E. coli (ATCC25922) and S. aureus (ATCC6538) were investigated. The cell cytotoxicity test showed that the cytotoxicity level was 0, and there was no cytotoxicity. Cell adhesion experiments showed that ZnO/3Ag-HAw has good cell compatibility and biological activity. The modified hawthorn has a bacteriostatic rate of more than 90% and has good bacteriostatic activity.

The valid repair of bone defects requires considering precise elements mirroring native tissue and the efficiency of treatment reality. Magnetic biomaterial‐mediated mechanotransduction emerges as a critical mechanism for enhancing osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration. Here, enhancement of osteogenic capacity is achieved in a hydroxyapatite whisker (HAw) by integrating with magnetic Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles (HAw/Fe ₃ O ₄ ). The HAw/Fe ₃ O ₄ exhibited excellent magnetic responsiveness and controllable alignment along magnetic field (MF) vectors enabled precise delivery of programmed mechanical stimuli. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles modified HAw has satisfactory biocompatibility and osteoinductivity, while the synergistic efficacy of magnetic biomaterial with external MF stimulation significantly accelerated bone matrix mineralization. The magnetic HAw/Fe ₃ O ₄ with a MF significantly increased the expression of osteogenic markers and improved bone repair. The mechanosensitive ion channel of Piezo1 enabled efficient transcellular mechanotransduction through the MAPK pathway in response to the magnetic HAw/Fe ₃ O ₄ with MF stimulation. The current study demonstrates that the HAw/Fe ₃ O ₄ magnetic framework ‐ developed through Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticle integration to enhance HAw osteoinductivity via coordinated MF application and mechanobiological modulation ‐ served as an optimal therapeutic platform for delivering programmed mechanical cues to activate Piezo1‐mediated mechanotransduction cascades, ultimately accelerating bone tissue regeneration.