Compositional changes to brushite cements to improve mechanical and antibiotic-delivery properties

Open Ceramics, vol. 23, pp. 100823

Abstract

Brushite calcium phosphate cements (bCPCs) are promising synthetic bone substitutes due to their bioactivity, osteoconductivity, and controlled degradation. However, their clinical use is limited by poor handling, low mechanical strength, and insufficient antimicrobial capability. This study explores the incorporation of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) and silk fibroin (SF) to enhance bCPC performance and enable localized antibiotic delivery using tetracycline (TC). Adding α-TCP improved compressive strength (up to 2.65 MPa), while SF in liquid or fiber form reinforced the matrix. The inclusion of TC and SF extended setting times (4–7 min initial; 7–30 min final) and maintained injectability (up to 50%). Drug release studies showed a 10% burst in the first 24 hours, with a sustained release of 77% over 14 days. These multifunctional bCPCs offer injectable, resorbable, and antibacterial properties, making them suitable for non-load-bearing bone repair applications.

Authors 4

1. Claudia Morilla Espino Aachen Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Louise van der Weerd
3. Lioe‐Fee de Geus‐Oei
4. Jeroen J.J.P. van den Beucken corresponding

   Radboud University Nijmegen · Radboud University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboudumc, Department of Dentistry - Regenerative Biomaterials, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

   Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands