High-strength calcium silicate-incorporated magnesium phosphate bone cement with osteogenic potential for orthopedic application

Bone cement with high mechanical strength is ideal for bone repair, especially in load-bearing sites. The present study aims at developing a composite bone cement with high compressive strength and desirable bioactivity by incorporating calcium silicate (CS) bioceramic into magnesium phosphate (MPC) bone cement. The results show that the compressive strength of the MPC/CS composite bone cement with 25 wt% CS addition could reach 112 MPa, which is significantly higher than MPC bone cements. The setting time of the composite bone cements ranged from 2 to 12 min depending on the liquid to powder ratio, the content of CS, and the addition of borax. The MPC/CS composite bone cements demonstrated apatite mineralization ability and moderate degradation behavior. Furthermore, the MPC/CS composite cements could stimulate the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. In general, the high-strength MPC/CS composite cements possess desirable biodegradability and bioactivity, which make it worth to be further investigated for bone repair in load-bearing sites.