Physicochemical properties of collagen sheet from bovine femur

Purpose: In the present study collagen sheets were prepared from the spongy part of the bovine femur and characterized from the physicochemical point of view. Methods: The physicochemical properties of the collagen sheets were studied using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA). Results: The SEM studies showed that the collagen sheets are porous and exhibit a fibrous nature. The TGA study revealed that the collagen sheets are a two-phase system containing a protein and a mineral phase. In order to determine the collagen type present in the sample, the sheets were dissolved and studied by circular dichroism (CD) and electrophoresis techniques. The results obtained showed that the nature of the collagen is type I. Conclusions: The type I collagen sheets from bovine femur isolated in this study are proposed as a biomaterial for medical applications, for example, as an osteoinductive material or they could be used as a bone substitute. (Journal of Applied Biomaterials & Biomechanics 2009; 7: 200-4)