Development and characterization of α-tricalcium phosphate/monocalcium aluminate composite bone cement

Loreley Morejón-Alonso, Raúl García Carrodeguas, Luis Alberto dos Santos

Ceramic Department, Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Engineering School, Materials Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
General Chemistry Department, Chemistry Faculty, Havana University, Cuba.

DOI: 10.4236/jbise.2012.58057                

Abstract

Calcium phosphate cements have received much attention in recent decades owing to their biocompatibility, in situ handling, and shaping abilities. However, their low initial mechanical strength is still a major limitation. On the other hand, calcium aluminate cements (CACs) set fast and have a high initial strength and good corrosion resistance in contact with body fluids, making them excellent dental restorative materials. Therefore, the chemical, mechanical and biological properties of new-TCP/CA cement after aging in simulated body fluid (SBF) were investigated. The results indicated that the composites have setting times not appropriated for immediate applications and have degradation rates higher than those of the traditional CPCs. Moreover, the compressive strength of composite was lower than 5MPa and did not increase with SBF immersion. However, the α-TCP/CA composites showed a higher bioactivity at early stages and were not only more biocompatible but also more noncytotoxic.

Keywords

Calcium Phosphate Cements; Calcium Aluminate Cements; Hydroxyapatite; In Vitro

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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