Calcium and magnesium phosphates bone cements for biovisualization and theranostic applications

The extensive bone defects caused by trauma or different diseases should be filled with materials that stimulate the formation of new bone tissue. The main advantages of inorganic calcium and magnesium phosphate cement materials, including injectable bone cements, are their ability to fill complex bone defects, provide appropriate mechanical properties and resorption kinetics with further new bone formation, and also provide theranostic special functional properties. These bone cements are also used in minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, as well as in oncology and dentistry. Monitoring dentistry procedures and assessing recovery during new bone formation requires observation using non-invasive methods for biovisualisation. The development of cement materials with theranostic effects could suggest a novel opportunity for treatment strategies for primary and metastatic bone tumors. This review illustrates the state of the art in modern bioimaging of bone cements based on calcium and magnesium phosphates, which refers to the use of several imaging techniques and also provides therapeutic effects, including cancer cleaning, antibacterial properties, and osteogenic differentiation.