Strong Calcium Phosphate Cement Research Articles

Gas-Foaming Calcium Phosphate Cement Scaffold Encapsulating Human Umbilical Cord Stem Cells

Tissue engineering approaches are promising to meet the increasing need for bone regeneration. Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) can be injected and self-set to form a scaffold with excellent osteoconductivity. The objectives of this study were to develop a macroporous CPC-chitosan-fiber construct containing alginate-fibrin microbeads encapsulating human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and to investigate hUCMSC release from the degrading microbeads and proliferation inside the porous CPC construct. The hUCMSC-encapsulated microbeads were completely wrapped inside the CPC paste, with the gas-foaming porogen creating macropores in CPC to provide for access to culture media. Increasing the porogen content in CPC significantly increased the cell viability, from 49% of live cells in CPC with 0% porogen to 86% of live cells in CPC with 15% porogen. The alginate-fibrin microbeads started to degrade and release the cells inside CPC at 7 days. The released cells started to proliferate inside the macroporous CPC construct. The live cell number inside CPC increased from 270 cells/mm(2) at 1 day to 350 cells/mm(2) at 21 days. The pore volume fraction of CPC increased from 46.8% to 78.4% using the gas-foaming method, with macropore sizes of approximately 100 to 400 μm. The strength of the CPC-chitosan-fiber scaffold at 15% porogen was 3.8 MPa, which approximated the reported 3.5 MPa for cancellous bone. In conclusion, a novel gas-foaming macroporous CPC construct containing degradable alginate-fibrin microbeads was developed that encapsulated hUCMSCs. The cells had good viability while wrapped inside the porous CPC construct. The degradable microbeads in CPC quickly released the cells, which proliferated over time inside the porous CPC. Self-setting, strong CPC with alginate-fibrin microbeads for stem cell delivery is promising for bone tissue engineering applications.

Strong, macroporous, and in situ-setting calcium phosphate cement-layered structures

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) is highly promising for clinical uses due to its in situ-setting ability, excellent osteoconductivity and bone-replacement capability. However, the low strength limits its use to non-load-bearing applications. The objectives of this study were to develop a layered CPC structure by combining a macroporous CPC layer with a strong CPC layer, and to investigate the effects of porosity and layer thickness ratios. The rationale was for the macroporous layer to accept tissue ingrowth, while the fiber-reinforced strong layer would provide the needed early-strength. A biopolymer chitosan was incorporated to strengthen both layers. Flexural strength, S (mean±sd; n=6) of CPC-scaffold decreased from (9.7±1.2) to (1.8±0.3) MPa ( p<0.05), when the porosity increased from 44.6% to 66.2%. However, with a strong-layer reinforcement, S increased to (25.2±6.7) and (10.0±1.4) MPa, respectively, at these two porosities. These strengths matched/exceeded the reported strengths of sintered porous hydroxyapatite implants and cancellous bone. Relationships were established between S and the ratio of strong layer thickness/specimen thickness, a/h: S=(17.6 a/h+3.2) MPa. The scaffold contained macropores with a macropore length (mean±sd; n=147) of (183±73) μm, suitable for cell infiltration and tissue ingrowth. Nano-sized hydroxyapatite crystals were observed to form the scaffold matrix of CPC with chitosan. In summary, a layered CPC implant, combining a macroporous CPC with a strong CPC, was developed. Mechanical strength and macroporosity are conflicting requirements. However, the novel functionally graded CPC enabled a relatively high strength and macroporosity to be simultaneously achieved. Such an in situ-hardening nano-apatite may be useful in moderate stress-bearing applications, with macroporosity to enhance tissue ingrowth and implant resorption.

Injectable and macroporous calcium phosphate cement scaffold

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) can be molded and self-hardens in vivo to form resorbable hydroxyapatite with excellent osteoconductivity. The objective of this study was to develop an injectable, macroporous and strong CPC, and to investigate the effects of porogen and absorbable fibers. Water-soluble mannitol was used as porogen and mixed with CPC at mass fractions from 0% to 50%. CPC with 0-40% mannitol was fully extruded under a syringe force of 10 N. The paste with 50% mannitol required a 100-N force which extruded only 66% of the paste. At fiber volume fraction of 0-5%, the paste was completely extruded. However, at 6% and 7.5% fibers, some fibers were left in the syringe after the paste was extruded. The injectable CPC scaffold had a flexural strength (mean+/-sd; n=5) of (3.2+/-1.0) MPa, which approached the reported strengths for sintered porous hydroxyapatite implants and cancellous bone. In summary, the injectability of a ceramic scaffold, a macroporous CPC, was studies for the first time. Processing parameters were tailored to achieve high injectability, macroporosity, and strength. The injectable and strong CPC scaffold may be useful in surgical sites that are not freely accessible by open surgery or when using minimally invasive techniques.

Effects of synergistic reinforcement and absorbable fiber strength on hydroxyapatite bone cement

Approximately a million bone grafts are performed each year in the United States, and this number is expected to increase rapidly as the population ages. Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) can intimately adapt to the bone cavity and harden to form resorbable hydroxyapatite with excellent osteoconductivity and bone-replacement capability. The objective of this study was to develop a strong CPC using synergistic reinforcement via suture fibers and chitosan, and to determine the fiber strength-CPC composite strength relationship. Biopolymer chitosan and cut suture filaments were randomly mixed into CPC. Both suture filaments and composite were immersed in a physiological solution. After 1-day immersion, cement flexural strengths (mean +/- SD; n = 6) were: (2.7 +/- 0.8) MPa for CPC control; (11.2 +/- 1.0) MPa for CPC-chitosan; (17.7 +/- 4.4) MPa for CPC-fiber composite; and (40.5 +/- 5.8) MPa for CPC-chitosan-fiber composite. They are significantly different from each other (Tukey's at 0.95). The strength increase from chitosan and fiber together in CPC was much more than that from either fiber or chitosan alone. The composite strength became (9.8 +/- 0.6) MPa at 35-day immersion and (4.2 +/- 0.7) MPa at 119 days, comparable to reported strengths for sintered porous hydroxyapatite implants and cancellous bone. After suture fiber dissolution, long macropore channels were formed in CPC suitable for cell migration and tissue ingrowth. A semiempirical relationship between suture fiber strength S(F) and composite strength S(C) were obtained: S(C) = 14.1 + 0.047 S(F), with R = 0.92. In summary, this study achieved substantial synergistic effects by combining random suture filaments and chitosan in CPC. This may help extend the use of the moldable, in situ hardening hydroxyapatite to moderate stress-bearing orthopedic applications. The long macropore channels in CPC should be advantageous for cell infiltration and bone ingrowth than conventional random pores and spherical pores.

Fast-setting calcium phosphate scaffolds with tailored macropore formation rates for bone regeneration.

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) is highly promising for craniofacial and orthopedic repair because of its ability to self-harden in situ to form hydroxyapatite with excellent osteoconductivity. However, its low strength, long hardening time, and lack of macroporosity limit its use. This study aimed to develop fast-setting and antiwashout CPC scaffolds with high strength and tailored macropore formation rates. Chitosan, sodium phosphate, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) were used to render CPC fast-setting and resistant to washout. Absorbable fibers and mannitol porogen were incorporated into CPC for strength and macropores for bone ingrowth. Flexural strength, work-of-fracture, and elastic modulus were measured vs. immersion time in a physiological solution. Hardening time (mean +/- SD; n = 6) was 69.5 +/- 2.1 min for CPC-control, 9.3 +/- 2.8 min for CPC-HPMC-mannitol, 8.2 +/- 1.5 min for CPC-chitosan-mannitol, and 6.7 +/- 1.6 min for CPC-chitosan-mannitol-fiber. The latter three compositions were resistant to washout, whereas the CPC-control paste showed washout in a physiological solution. Immersion for 1 day dissolved mannitol and created macropores in CPC. CPC-chitosan-mannitol-fiber scaffold had a strength of 4.6 +/- 1.4 MPa, significantly higher than 1.2 +/- 0.1 MPa of CPC-chitosan-mannitol scaffold and 0.3 +/- 0.2 MPa of CPC-HPMC-mannitol scaffold (Tukey's). The strength of CPC-chitosan-mannitol-fiber scaffold was maintained up to 42 days and then decreased because of fiber degradation. Work-of-fracture and elastic modulus showed similar trends. Long cylindrical macropore channels were formed in CPC after fiber dissolution. The resorbable, fast-setting, anti-washout and strong CPC scaffold should be useful in craniofacial and orthopedic repairs. The novel method of combining fast- and slow-dissolution porogens/fibers to produce scaffolds with high strength and tailored macropore formation rates to match bone healing rates may have wide applicability to other biomaterials.