Magnesium alloys are promising materials for biomedical applications because of many outstanding properties like biodegradation, bioactivity and their specific density and Young's modulus are closer to bone than the commonly used metallic implant materials. Unfortunately their fatigue properties and low corrosion resistance negatively influenced their application possibilities in the field of biomedicine. These problems could be diminished through appropriate surface treatments. This study evaluates the influence of a surface pre-treatment by shot peening and shot peening+coating on the corrosion properties of magnesium alloy AZ31. The dicalcium phosphate dihydrate coating (DCPD) was electrochemically deposited in a solution containing 0.1M Ca(NO3)2, 0.06M NH4H2PO4 and 10mL/L of H2O2. The effect of shot peening on the surface properties of magnesium alloy was evaluated by microhardness and surface roughness measurements. The influence of the shot peening and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate layer on the electrochemical characteristics of AZ31 magnesium alloy was evaluated by potentiodynamic measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 0.9% NaCl solution at a temperature of 22±1°C. The obtained results were analyzed by the Tafel-extrapolation method and equivalent circuit method. The results showed that the application of shot peening process followed by DCPD coating improves the properties of the AZ31 surface from corrosion and mechanical point of view (1).
Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate particles functionalized with triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were synthesized and added to a photocurable mixture of bisphenol-A glycidyl dimethacrylate and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate with the purpose of developing a resin composite capable of releasing calcium and phosphate ions to foster dental remineralization. Particle functionalization would minimize the deleterious effect of adding low cohesive strength nano-structured particles with no chemical interaction with the organic matrix on the material's mechanical properties. The results showed that calcium release over 28 days was not impaired by particle functionalization. A statistically significant 32% increase in strength was recorded with the use of functionalized dicalcium phosphate dihydrate in comparison to the material containing non-functionalized particles. However, the strength of the unfilled resin was not matched by the composite with functionalized particles. Elastic modulus increased with particle incorporation, regardless of functionalization. Degree of conversion and optical properties (total transmittance and color change/ΔE) of the resin-based materials were not affected by the addition of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate particles (functionalized or not) (2).
Calcium phosphate bone cements (CPCs) with antibacterial properties are demanded for clinical applications. In this study, we demonstrated the use of a relatively simple processing route based on preparation of silver-doped CPCs (CPCs-Ag) through the preparation of solid dispersed active powder phase. Real-time monitoring of structural transformations and kinetics of several CPCs-Ag formulations (Ag = 0 wt %, 0.6 wt % and 1.0 wt %) was performed by the Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction technique. The partial conversion of β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) phase into the dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) took place in all the investigated cement systems. In the pristine cement powders, Ag in its metallic form was found, whereas for CPC-Ag 0.6 wt % and CPC-Ag 1.0 wt % cements, CaAg(PO₃)₃ was detected and Ag (met.) was no longer present. The CPC-Ag 0 wt % cement exhibited a compressive strength of 6.5 ± 1.0 MPa, whereas for the doped cements (CPC-Ag 0.6 wt % and CPC-Ag 1.0 wt %) the reduced values of the compressive strength 4.0 ± 1.0 and 1.5 ± 1.0 MPa, respectively, were detected. Silver-ion release from CPC-Ag 0.6 wt % and CPC-Ag 1.0 wt % cements, measured by the Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, corresponds to the average values of 25 µg/L and 43 µg/L, respectively, rising a plateau after 15 days. The results of the antibacterial test proved the inhibitory effect towards pathogenic Escherichia coli for both CPC-Ag 0.6 wt % and CPC-Ag 1.0 wt % cements, better performances being observed for the cement with a higher Ag-content (3).
The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and biological properties of a newly developed calcium phosphate cement (CaP cement) implanted in cortical bone. CaP cement was injected as a paste into tibia cortical bone defects in goats. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement was used as a control. The animals were killed after 3 days, 2, 8, 16 and 24 weeks. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy performed at retrieved samples showed that the CaP cement had set as a carbonate apatite and remained stable over time. Light microscopic evaluation showed that after 2 weeks the cement was in tight contact with the bone without any inflammatory reaction or fibrous encapsulation. At later time points, the CaP cement implants were totally covered by a thin layer of bone and osteoclasts, present at the interface, which were clearly resorbing the cement. At locations where CaP cement was resorbed, new bone was deposited. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that indeed a seamless contact existed between CaP cement and bone, as characterized by the occurrence of an electron dense line of 50-60 nm thick that covered the CaP cement. Osteoblasts, in contact with the cement, were depositing new bone. Although the bulk of the material was still in situ after 24 weeks, the progressive osteoclast resorption of the cement followed by new bone formation suggests that all of the material may be replaced eventually. In contrast to the CaP cement, the PMMA reference cement was always surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule. The results indicate that the investigated CaP cement is biocompatible, osteoconductive as well as osteotransductive and is a candidate material for use as a bone substitute (4).
References________________________________________
(1) Influence of shot peening on corrosion properties of biocompatible magnesium alloy AZ31 coated by dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD).
Mhaede M, Pastorek F, Hadzima B.
Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2014 Jun
(2) Polymer-based material containing calcium phosphate particles functionalized with a dimethacrylate monomer for use in restorative dentistry.
Rodrigues MC, Xavier TA, Arana-Chavez VE, Braga RR.
J Biomater Appl. 2016 Nov
(3) Silver-Doped Calcium Phosphate Bone Cements with Antibacterial Properties.
Rau JV, Fosca M, Graziani V, Egorov AA, Zobkov YV, Fedotov AY, Ortenzi M, Caminiti R, Baranchikov AE, Komlev VS.
J Funct Biomater. 2016 Apr
(4) Ooms E.M., Wolke J.G.C., van de Heuvel M.T., Jeschke B., Jansen J.A. Histological evaluation of the bone response to calcium phosphate cement implanted in cortical bone. Biomaterials. 2003
Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate 
