An Injectable Glass Polyalkenoate Cement Engineered for Fracture Fixation and Stabilization

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Materials
• Orthopedic Biomaterials

Background:

• Glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) show promise as bio-adhesives due to their bone adhesion and ease of use.
• Existing aluminum-free GPCs struggle to balance injectability with mechanical integrity, often setting too quickly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate injectable GPCs (IGPCs) based on zinc-containing, aluminum-free silicate compositions.
• To investigate the effect of germanium dioxide (GeO₂) substitution on the properties of these IGPCs.
• To assess the potential of these IGPCs as carriers for bovine serum albumin (BSA).

Main Methods:

• Developed IGPCs by substituting zinc oxide (ZnO) with GeO₂ in 3% increments.
• Evaluated setting reactions, injectability, and mechanical properties using both hand-mix and injection techniques.
• Assessed the capacity of GPCs to act as a carrier for BSA.

Main Results:

• Formulated IGPCs with working times of 26–44 minutes and setting times of 37–55 minutes, influenced by Ge content.
• Incorporation of BSA did not affect handling or mechanical properties.
• Compression strength increased with Ge addition, ranging from 27 to 37 MPa after 30 days maturation.

Conclusions:

• The developed aluminum-free IGPCs offer extended handling times suitable for clinical application.
• GeO₂ substitution enhances mechanical properties, particularly compressive strength, in these injectable cements.
• These IGPCs demonstrate potential as effective bio-adhesives and drug delivery systems in bone applications.