ABSTRACT
Bioglass-calcium phosphate cement (CPC) composite materials have recently received increased attention for bone regeneration purposes, owing to their improved properties in term of biocompatibility and bone ingrowths. In this study, an injectable bone substitute (IBS) system which utilizes bioglass microspheres incorporated into brushite based cement, was evaluated. The microspheres were synthesized with a simple and low sintering temperature process; there was no significant phase difference shown from the powder and good interactivity with cells was obtained. Furthermore, physical properties were optimized in microsphere incorporated brushite cement in order to investigate in vitro and in vivo performance. Accordingly, setting time and compressive strength were hardly altered until a microsphere content of 40% (v/v) was reached. The brushite (BR)/bioglass microsphere (BM) system showed excellent bioactivity to the in-vitro simulated body fluid test: dissolution ions from composite materials influenced apatite growth, countered acidic pH, and increased material degradation. In an in-vitro study with preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1), BR/BM supported cell adhesion and proliferation, while cell differentiation experiments without osteogenic supplements, demonstrated that BR/BM induced osteogenic differentiation. A post-implantation study conducted in femoral defects showed higher materials degradation and bone formation in BR/BM than in BR. The faster dissolution of bioglass microspheres increased BR/BM composite resorption and hence facilitated bone tissue integration. Our findings suggest that bioglass microspheres incorporated in cement could potentially be used as an injectable bone substitute for bone regeneration applications.