Hydroxyapatite-carbon nanotube composites for biomedical applications: A review

Hydroxyapatite (HA) has been used in clinical bone graft procedures for more than 25 years. However, its poor tensile strength and fracture toughness compared with bone make it unsuitable for major load-bearing devices. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their high aspect ratio and excellent mechanical properties, have the potential to strengthen and toughen HA without offsetting its bioactivity, thus opening up a wider range of possible clinical uses for the material. This review discusses techniques for synthesizing and processing HA-CNT composites, as well as barriers that still remain to their successful development for clinical application.