In vitro physiochemical properties of a biomimetic gelatin/chitosan oligosaccharide/calcium silicate cement

Calcium silicate cement (CSC) has favorable biocompatible properties that may support its clinical use as bone defect repair. A hybrid cement was developed consisting of a chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) solution in a liquid phase and gelatin (GLT)-containing calcium silicate powder in a solid phase. The combination of GLT and COS was chosen due to the benefits achieved from several synergistic effects and for their clinical applications. In this study, the in vitro physicochemical properties of CSC-GLT-COS hybrid cement were investigated. The results indicated that all cement specimens formed apatite spherulites in simulated body fluid (SBF) for as little as 1 h. After immersion in a Tris-HCl solution, a pore structure appeared on all specimen surfaces without any precipitation. The presence of GLT did not adversely affect the physiochemical properties of CSC, even after 30 days of immersion. In contrast, COS could promote the degradation of CSC, as evidenced in the results of mechanical strength, weight loss, and ion concentration. The in vitro physiochemical properties of the hybrid cement makes it an attractive choice for dental and orthopedic applications. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 95B: 456-465, 2010.