In Vitro Study: To Investigate the Mechanical and Micro Structural Properties of a New Augmentation of Trabecular Bone-Biological Bone Cement

Bone graft and bone substitutes have been used in fracture fixation for many decades. However, the rate of bone healing is a very slow process and thus inhibits the mobility of the patients. Biological bone cement, calcium phosphate cement (CPC), is an alternative to bone graft and bone substitutes that has been introduced in fracture fixation i.e. calcaneal fractures recently. Problems arise when a large amount (more than 10cc) of calcium phosphate cement is needed in comminuted fracture fixation. This has led to the objective of this study of developing a new augmentation of trabecular bone graft (TB) and CPC. A total of 52 samples of TBCPC and CPC were included in this study. All specimens were prepared in 8mm diameter and 16mm length cylindrically. The mechanical (compression) and micro structural properties of TBCPC augmentation and CPC were measured using micro-mechanical tester, Instron5848 and micro-XCT, Xradia Inc respectively. All specimens were micro-XCT scanned using micro-XCT (100KV x-ray source with a focal spot size of 5 mu m) and all micro-XCT images were obtained at 18.78 mu m. All scanned specimens were subjected to compressive testing at a rate of 0.5mm/min on a micro-mechanical tester. The results in this in vitro study have demonstrated that an appropriate amount of TB and CPC are augmented may be a feasible option in fracture fixation as TBCPC3:4 is statistically higher than CPC on its compressive strength.