Abstract
This study demonstrates the utility of hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres as an additive to enhance the radiopaque properties, biocompatibility, and osteoconductivity of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based bone cements. HA microspheres were synthesized using spray drying. They had well-defined spherical shapes, thus allowing for the production of PMMA/HA composites with a very high HA content (20 vol % and 40 vol %). The uniform distribution of these HA microspheres in the PMMA matrix resulted in a remarkable increase in compressive modulus (p < 0.05), while preserving a reasonably high compressive strength. The PMMA/HA bone cements showed much higher radiopacity than PMMA containing BaSO4 as the additive. This was attributed to the high HA content up to 40 vol %. In addition, the biocompatibility and osteoconductivity of PMMA/HA bone cements were significantly enhanced compared to those of PMMA bone cements containing BaSO4, which were assessed using in vitro tests and in vivo animal experiments.
Highlights
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement has been widely used as an adhesive material in orthopedics, which can make a bond between implants and bone, or a filler in bone defects caused by osteoporosis or cancer [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The crystalline phases of the HA microspheres were evaluated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), since they would strongly strongly affect biological functions in vivo affect biological functions in vivo when when used as an additive for PMMA bone cements [26,27,28,29]
These findings suggest that the use of HA microspheres as an additive can the bone volume increased remarkably (p < 0.05) with an increase in implantation period for the significantly enhance the osteoconductivity and bone regeneration ability of PMMA bone cements, PMMA/HA composite
Summary
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement has been widely used as an adhesive material in orthopedics, which can make a bond between implants and bone, or a filler in bone defects caused by osteoporosis or cancer [1,2,3,4,5,6]. An additive with high radiopacity, such as barium sulfate or zirconium dioxide, is commonly incorporated in bone cements to enhance the radiopaque properties of PMMA bone cements [14] These additives have too low of an osteoconductivity to be used in orthopaedic applications [9,15]. It is still a challenge to find new ways of enhancing the HA content in PMMA/HA composite bone cements, in order to induce a more stable attachment and stronger bonding with surrounding tissue, as well as reasonably high mechanical properties for load-bearing applications. We examined the potential of HA microspheres as a new type of additive, in order to enhance the biological functions (e.g., biocompatibility and osteoconductivity) of PMMA/HA composite bone cements without sacrificing their high mechanical properties. Their in vitro biocompatibility and in vivo osteoconductivity were evaluated
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