Physical characterization and osteogenic activity of the quaternized chitosan-loaded PMMA bone cement

Gentamicin-loaded polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), widely used for primary cemented arthroplasty and revision surgery for preventing or treating infections, may lead to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and dysfunction of osteogenic cells, which further influence the osteointegration of bone cement. In a previous study, we reported that a new quaternized chitosan derivative (hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, HACC) that was loaded into PMMA significantly inhibited the formation of biofilms caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus strains. In the present study, we further investigated the surface morphology, hydrophilicity, apatite formation ability and osteogenic activity of HACC-loaded PMMA. Chitosan-loaded PMMA, gentamicin-loaded PMMA and PMMA without antibiotic were also investigated and compared. The results showed that, compared to other PMMA-based cements, HACC-loaded PMMA had improved properties such as a lower polymerization temperature, prolonged setting time, porous structures after immersion in phosphate-buffered saline, higher hydrophilicity, more apatite formation on the surface after immersion in simulated body fluid, and better attachment and spreading of the human-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. We also found better stem cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, and osteogenesis-associated genes expression on the surface of the HACC-loaded PMMA compared to the gentamicin-loaded PMMA. Therefore, this new anti-infective bone cement had improved physical properties and osteogenic activity, which may lead to better osteointegration of the bone cement in cemented arthroplasty.