Mineralized collagen/Mg–Ca alloy combined scaffolds with improved biocompatibility for enhanced bone response following tooth extraction

Mineralized collagen has been used clinically as a bone grafting material in oral applications. We have developed a mineralized collagen/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold to overcome the mechanical limitations of mineralized collagen. This study discusses the cytocompatibility of the mineralized collage/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold in vitro and the bone regeneration following tooth extraction in vivo. Using an indirect proliferation assay adapted from ISO 10993-5, it was found that mineralized collagen/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold enhanced cell proliferation and migration in addition to MC3T3-E1 cells not showing a cytotoxicity response in vitro. Finally, the ability of the combined scaffold to enhance osteogenesis was assessed in a canine socket preservation model. Cone beam CT, x-ray microscopes and biomechanical analysis showed the mineralized collagen/Mg-Ca alloy combined scaffold to be more effective at reducing the absorption of alveolar ridge and preserving the socket site than mineralized collagen alone. The combined scaffolds can promote bone regeneration with good biocompatibility, providing a new concept of the combined application of mineralized collagen and magnesium alloy.