Alpha-tricalcium phosphate cement: "in vitro" cytotoxicity

Calcium phosphate-based bioceramics have revolutionized orthopedic and dental repair of damaged parts of the bone system. Among these materials, calcium phosphate-based cements, with hydraulic setting, stand out due to their biocompatibility and in situ hardening, which allow easy manipulation and adaptation to the shape and dimensions of bone defects. An investigation was made of the in vitro cytotoxic effect of calcium phosphate cement based on alpha-tricalcium phosphate, immersed for different lengths of time in simulated body fluid (SBF), based on the ISO-10993 "Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices" standard. The culture medium was Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in contact with diluted cement extracts. The results revealed that the calcium phosphate cement used was cytotoxic and that the material's cytotoxicity decreased the longer the cement was immersed in SBF.