Controlled degradation of chitosan-coated strontium-doped calcium sulfate hemihydrate composite cement promotes bone defect repair in osteoporosis rats

Strontium (Sr)-doped calcium sulfate hemihydrate (SrCSH) bioactive materials have been demonstrated to promote osteoporotic bone repair, being associated with the stimulation of bone formation and a reduction in bone resorption. However, the rapid degradation and absorption of SrCSH affects its clinical value. In order to delay the degradation time of SrCSH and improve the utilization of Sr2+, chitosan (CS)-coated SrCSH microspheres (CS-SrCSH) are prepared by electrostatic interaction between CS and SrCSH. X-ray diffraction analysis verifies that SrCSH coated by CS does not alter the phase composition of the SrCSH. It was observed that CS-SrCSH microspheres have uniform particle size. More importantly, the in vivo and in vitro degradation time of CS-SrCSH microspheres is significantly longer than that of SrCSH, and the release rate of Sr2+ is stable, achieving a sustained release effect. Furthermore, CS-SrCSH-based cement is used to repair critical-sized OVX rat tibial defects. The in vivo results reveal that CS-SrCSH exhibits a long-term capability for osteogenesis, angiogenesis and bone metabolism inhibition. In conclusion, the controllable degradation of CS-SrCSH-based cements described here could be beneficial for the repair of bone defects, especially in the osteoporotic bone.