Physicomechanical Evaluation of a New Biodegradable Calcium Sulphate-based Bone Cement for Sternal Reconstruction

Human bone tissue has the ability to self-repair after injuries, however, after major surgeries such as open heart surgeries or severe injuries, injectable bone cements are an effective treatment to ensure faster healing and to avoid further post-surgery complications. In this work, an injectable and biodegradable bone cement consisting of calcium sulphate hemihydrate, Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was investigated. Calcium sulphate bone cements have been used for decades due to their biocompatibility. The proposed cement is injectable and obtains compressive strengths as high as 11 MPa after setting in humid surroundings by absorbing water. During setting, the polymers are dissolved in water and leave a bioactive and porous calcium sulphate dihydrate structure behind, which encourages bone regeneration.

Keywords:

Bone Cement , Biomaterials , Bone Regeneration , Sternal Reconstruction