Cemented injectable multi-phased porous bone grafts for the treatment of femoral head necrosis

Abstract

Femoral head necrosis (FHN) can induce musculoskeletal disability. It presents a challenge from diagnostic and therapeutic points of view. Open surgery for the treatment of FHN is not an optimal route. To minimize the surgery window, an injectable material with a porous structure and bioactive nature is preferred. The fabrication of an injectable porous bone graft via a simple route was the aim of our study. Therefore, cemented multi-phased calcium phosphate porous granules have been studied with varied phase compositions, pore sizes and porosities, and degradation rates. Granules templated by PEG 100–600 μm were chosen for cell toxicity and in vitro osteogenic potential testing. Rabbits, making up a femoral head necrosis model, were implanted with granule A. Mature cancellous bone tissue was observed in the femoral head defect after 2 months implantation. The results indicate that the newly formed injectable bioactive porous grafts could be a good candidate for the treatment of femoral head necrosis.