Bioactive magnesium-based whitlockite ceramic as bone cement additives for enhancing osseointegration and bone regeneration

Abstract

PMMA bone cement is commonly used in the field of orthopedics as a filling material. However, due to the lack of biological activity and high elastic modulus, its application scope and efficacy are greatly limited, such as in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCF). For this reason, new functional bone cement was synthesized and designed to address and improve those shortcomings. In this study, Tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) and Whitlockite (WH) were incorporated with PMMA cement to prepare a novel bone cement (TTCP/WH) and systemically evaluated its characteristics such as the operational working time and mechanical properties, etc. based on the International Standardization Organization standard (ISO 5833). Also, the biocompatibility and osteogenic activity of TTCP/WH bone cement were analyzed in vitro, and the rabbit ilium bone defect model was also used to evaluate osteoconduction and osseointegration with native bone tissue. Our results showed that TTCP/WH functional bone cement exhibited good osteoconductivity compared with bio-inert PMMA bone cement, facilitated new bone formation, and was histocompatible with surrounding bone tissue while maintaining its original purpose of supporting. So, TTCP/WH functional bone cement may be a promising alternative to overcome PMMA cement’s limitations in treating OVCF.

Keywords

• Whitlockite
• Tetracalcium phosphate
• Functional bone cement
• Biocompatibility
• Osteoconductivity