abstract
Biphasic [hydroxyapatite (HA) + beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP)] calcium phosphate powders with partial substitutions of Ca2+ by silver, copper, zinc and strontium ions were synthesized by precipitation. The aim was to improve the overall biological performance (antimicrobial effect and stimulated osteoblasts proliferation) of the bone graft materials made thereof. The prepared powders were calcined and characterized by different techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental analysis, thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Rietveld refinement was used for quantitative phase analysis. The in vitro biocompatibility and the antibacterial activity of the powders were evaluated through the resazurin viability test with MG63 cells, and against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The quantitative elemental analysis revealed that only strontium ions have been fully incorporated into both HA and beta-TCP phases. The in vitro biocompatibility with pre-osteoblastic cells was proved for all synthesized powders, while only the silver-doped powders exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. Aureus. The information gathered is of high relevance for designing improved calcium phosphate bioceramics.
keywords
BETA-TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE; HYDROXYAPATITE COATINGS; BIOLOGICAL-PROPERTIES; BONE-FORMATION; IN-VIVO; ZINC; ANTIBACTERIAL; COPPER; MAGNESIUM; CERAMICS
subject category
Materials Science
authors
Marques, CF; Olhero, S; Abrantes, JCC; Marote, A; Ferreira, S; Vieira, SI; Ferreira, JMF
our authors
Catarina Fernandes Marques
PhD Student
José Maria da Fonte Ferreira
Retired Professor
Susana Maria Henriques Olhero
Assistant Professoracknowledgements
This study was financially supported by the projects of CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID /CTM /50011/2013), and Institute for Biomedicine (UID/BIM/04501/2013), University of Aveiro, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC, Portugal. C. Marques is grateful for the Grant SFRH/BD/78355/2011 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Authors would like to thank Doctor Manuel Ribeiro for the thermal analysis.