. 2011 Jul 12;63(5):437–443. doi: 10.1007/s10616-011-9367-4

Table 1.

Available nanomaterials being employed for bone repair

Type	Major application	Bio-compatibility	Stability
Metal	Internal fixation; bone replacement; physical supports	Could be improved with surface modification	Long-term efficiency
Ceramics	Internal fixation; bone replacement; physical supports	Could be improved with surface modification	Long-term efficiency
Polymers	Cell seeding; soft tissue replacement; surface application; weak physical support	Depending on materials	Depending on biodegradation
Scaffolds, hydrogels		High	Depending on biodegradation
Nanoparticles	Drug delivery; gene delivery; protein delivery; controlled and targeted release	Could be improved with surface modification	Could be controlled