Study on the poly(methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid)/calcium phosphate cement composite bound by chelation with enhanced water absorption and biomechanical properties

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement has been widely used as a critical material for fixing prostheses and filling bone defects. The shrinkage of PMMA bone cement was addressed by the additives, however, the uneven integral water absorption and expansion performance as well as the deteriorated mechanical properties of the modified bone cement after immersion in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and simulation body fluid (SBF) affected the long-term stability after implantation. Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) is a biomaterial with promising applications in orthopedics, whose hydration reaction provides an important driving force for the transfer of water. Besides, the mechanical properties of CPC can be enhanced with the curing process. In this study, CPC was utilized to modify the poly(methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) [P(MMA-AA)] bone cement. The results demonstrated the successful construction of interconnected CPC water delivery networks in the P(MMA-AA)/CPC composite, the water absorption ratio and expansion ratio of the composite were up to 131.18 ± 9.14% and 168.19 ± 5.44%, respectively. Meanwhile, the transformation of CPC water delivery networks into rigid mechanical support networks as well as the chelation interaction between organic-inorganic enhanced the mechanical properties of the composite after immersion, the compressive strength after immersion reached 62.97 ± 0.97 MPa, which was 27.65% higher than that before immersion. The degradation ratio of the composite was up to 13.76 ± 0.23% after 9 days of immersion, which was 16.4% higher than that of CPC. Furthermore, composites exhibited superior biocompatibility as the release of Ca2+. Therefore, P(MMA-AA)/CPC composite serves as a promising medical filling material for clinical use.