Cytocompatibility of the selected calcium phosphate based bone cements: comparative study in human cell culture.

Calcium phosphate cements (CPC) are valuable bone fillers. Recently they have been also considered as the basis for drug-, growth factors- or cells-delivery systems. Broad possibilities to manipulate CPC composition provide a unique opportunity to obtain materials with a wide range of physicochemical properties. In this study we show that CPC composition significantly influences cell response. Human bone derived cells were exposed to the several well-characterized different cements based on calcium phosphates, magnesium phosphates and calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH). Cell viability assays, live/dead staining and real-time observation of cells in contact with the materials (time-laps) were performed. Although all the investigated materials have successfully passed a standard cytocompatibility assay, cell behavior in a direct contact with the materials varied depending on the material and the experimental system. The most recommended were the α-TCP-based materials which proved suitable as a support for cells in a direct contact. The materials which caused a decrease of calcium ions concentration in culture induced the negative cell response, however this effect might be expected efficiently compensated in vivo. All the materials consisting of CSH had negative impact on the cells. The obtained results strongly support running series of cytocompatibility studies for preclinical evaluation of bone cements.

Physicochemical properties of the novel biphasic hydroxyapatite-magnesium phosphate biomaterial.

Besides high-temperature calcium phosphates (CaPs), low-temperature calcium phosphate bone cements (CPCs), due to excellent biological properties: bioactivity, biocompability and osteoconductivity, are successfully used as bone substitutes. However, some disadvantages, related mainly to their low resorption rate and poor mechanical properties result in limited range of applications of these implant materials to non-loaded places in the skeletal system. To overcome this problem, magnesium phosphate cements (MPCs) with high strength have been considered as biomaterials. The main disadvantage of MPCs is that the acid-base setting reaction is an exothermic process that must be strictly controlled to avoid tissue necrosis. In this work, a new composite bone substitute (Hydroxyapatite Magnesium Phosphate Material - HMPM) based on hydroxyapatite (HA) and magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) with sodium pyrophosphate applied as a retardant of setting reaction was obtained. Its setting time was adequate for clinical applications. Combining properties of HA and MPC has made it possible to obtain microporous (showing bimodal pore size distribution in the range of 0.005-1.700 micrometers) potential implant material showing good surgical handiness and sufficient mechanical strength. Effectiveness of sodium pyrophosphate as a retardant of exothermic setting reaction of the new cement formulation was confirmed. After setting and hardening, the material consisted of hydroxyapatite and struvite as crystalline phases. Unreacted magnesium oxide was not detected.