Rubidium-modified bioactive glass-ceramics with hydroxyapatite crystals for bone regeneration

Abstract

In order to study the influence of rubidium (Rb) addition on the phase composition, microstructure, mechanical properties and cell response of bioactive glass-ceramics, CaO–SiO2–Na2O–B2O3–MgO–ZnO–P2O5 glass system was designed with and without addition of Rb. The results show that hydroxyapatite (HA) and Mg–whitelockite (Ca18Mg2H2(PO4)14) crystalline phases are formed in the glass matrix without Rb. After the addition of Rb, only HA phase is detected. The grain size of the crystals in the glass-ceramics is larger with the addition of Rb than that of samples without Rb. Rb addition can improve the bending strength of glass-ceramics. The cultivation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) on Rb-containing glass-ceramics demonstrates enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity. In conclusion, Rb-modified glass-ceramics exhibit good mechanical property, excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility, which have potential for bone regeneration application.