Development and Characterization of Injectable, Self-Setting, Radiopaque, Calcium-Based Hybrid Bone Cement for Potential Use in Vertebroplasty

Sunday, March 30, 2025

3:09 PM – 3:18 PM CT

Location: Music City Center, 207 AB

Presenting Author(s)

Sophia C. Lopez

Medical Student Researcher
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

AM

Archana Mishra, PhD, MS

Postdoctoral Fellow
MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States
DB

Dominic Karl Bolinas, BS

Student
MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States
MB

Marvin Bernardino, n/a

Research Investigator
Department of Interventional Radiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States
Allan John R. Barcena (he/him/his)

MD-PhD Student
Department of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, United States
Marites P. Melancon, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Interventional Radiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States

Purpose: Injectable bone cement plays a critical role in vertebroplasty, a minimally invasive procedure used to stabilize compression fractures in the spine. However, conventional bone cements have various limitations, such as high heat generation, brittle composition, and low biocompatibility. To address this, we aim to develop an injectable, self-setting, radiopaque calcium-based hybrid bone cement with improved features and efficacy for potential clinical applications.

Materials and Methods: A powder (5 g) comprised of different components (A, B, and C) and a liquid component (3 mL) were weighed and mixed in a mortar and pestle and then packed in a 10 mL syringe to form a paste. The paste was then extruded into a mold to allow hardening of the material. Physicochemical properties of the bone cement, such as injectability, setting time, morphology, porosity, compressive strength, and degradation, were characterized through rigorous standard testing. To determine cement biocompatibility, cell viability was tested with an alamarBlue assay using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Results: The bone cement comprised of the optimized ratio of components A, B, and C (3:1:1) demonstrated promising results. The injectability of bone cement was excellent, as 90% of the volume was extruded with minimal resistance. The setting time was 15 ± 5.0 min, and the compressive strength was 135 ± 5.67 lb of load for a sample (length: 14.31 mm, width: 15.18 mm and height: 6.42 mm), which are optimum for clinical application. SEM imaging and intrusion studies showed that the material's surface was porous, and porosity was 85 ± 4.55%. CT imaging revealed that the cement is radiopaque (HU value: 2940 ± 235). In vitro, the cell viability of MSCs was 70%, which meets the ISO standard for medical devices. The bone cement also demonstrated less than 5% weight reduction in phosphate buffer solution over a 28-day incubation period.

Conclusion: Developed radiopaque calcium-based hybrid bone cement is an ideal candidate material for vertebroplasty due to its excellent injectability, compressive strength, and biocompatibility. In the future, in vivo applications of developed bone cement in various animal models will be studied.