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Preparation and properties of macroporous brushite bone cements
1Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Genova, Italy. giuseppe.cama@unige.it
Acta Biomaterialia
|March 17, 2009
Summary
This study developed a macroporous brushite bone cement using mannitol as a porogen. The resulting bone cement exhibits mechanical properties superior to cancellous bone, suitable for bone grafts.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Orthopedic Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Development of advanced bone cements is crucial for orthopedic applications.
- Existing bone cements often lack the porosity required for optimal cell infiltration and tissue integration.
- Brushite cements offer potential for bone regeneration due to their bioactivity and resorbability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a novel macroporous brushite bone cement.
- To evaluate the effect of macroporosity on the mechanical properties of the cement.
- To assess the suitability of the developed cement for bone grafting applications.
Main Methods:
- Macroporous brushite bone cement was fabricated by incorporating mannitol crystals as a porogen.
- Mannitol crystals with a size of 250-500 microm and shape ratio of 3-6 were used.
- Compression tests were performed on cylindrical samples with varying macropore volume fractions (0-15%).
Main Results:
- The macroporous brushite bone cement demonstrated an elastic modulus in the range of 2.5-4.2 GPa.
- Compressive strength ranged from 17.5-32.6 MPa for pore fractions between 0% and 15%.
- The compressive strength consistently exceeded the reported values for cancellous bone.
Conclusions:
- Macroporous brushite bone cement can be successfully fabricated using mannitol as a porogen.
- The developed cement possesses mechanical properties comparable or superior to cancellous bone.
- This macroporous brushite bone cement shows promise for use as injectable pastes or preformed bone grafts.
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