Effects of silk fibroin incorporation on the mechanical properties and osteogenic activity of bone repair materials

As a natural biopolymer, silk fibroin (SF) exhibits irreplaceable value in the field of bone repair materials applications due to its excellent biocompatibility, controllable degradability, and unique structure regulation ability. The incorporation of SF can regulate various properties of bone repair materials. This paper mainly systematically reviews the effects of SF incorporation on the mechanical properties and osteogenic activity of various bone repair materials. In terms of mechanical properties, SF highly enhances the compressive strength, toughness, and structural stability of materials through the formation of β-sheet crystal structures and intermolecular interactions, effectively addressing the application limitations of traditional bone repair materials in bone tissue engineering. Meanwhile, in terms of osteogenic activity, SF can promote the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, upregulate the expression of key markers such as alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin by inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway. Especially when combined with ceramics or metal implants, it demonstrates excellent osteogenic ability. This paper will provide a theoretical framework for the creation of composite bone repair materials with precise mechanical matching and efficient osteogenic induction functions, and it has important guiding significance for promoting the clinical translation of bone tissue engineering materials. • Summary of preparation methods of SF-based biomaterials for bone repair. • Analysis of the mechanism of SF improving the mechanical properties. • Discussion of the mechanism of SF improving the osteogenic activity. • Outlook on SF-based biomaterials for overcoming clinical treatment barriers.