Effect of modification degree of nanohydroxyapatite on biocompatibility and mechanical property of injectable poly(methyl methacrylate)-based bone cement

The objective of this study is to prepare a biocompatible nanohydroxyapatite/poly(methyl methacrylate) (HA/PMMA) composite bone cement, which has good mechanical property and can be used for vertebroplasty. Up to 40 wt % of nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) in the power, which was surface modified with poly(methylmethacrylate- co -γ-methacryloxypropyl timethoxysilane) [P(MMA- co -MPS)] copolymer, was incorporated into the composite bone cement. The content of P(MMA- co -MPS) on the surface of nano-HA (18.7%, 22.8%, and 26%) was determined through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology of biomineralized surface of composite bone cement was observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical measurements of the composite cements implied that the interfacial interaction between the HA and PMMA matrix may be greatly enhanced after surface modification of HA. Biochemical assays indicated that the HA/PMMA bone cement had no cytotoxicity and induced no hemolysis. The cell adhesion and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assays indicated that the biocompatibility of HA/PMMA bone cement could be promoted, demonstrating that it can be used as an ideal weight-bearing bone repair materials on clinical application. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 576–584, 2016.