An evaluation of the processing conditions, structure, and properties (biaxial flexural strength and antibacterial efficacy) of sintered strontium-zinc-silicate glass ceramics.
The use of artificial bone grafts has increased in order to satisfy a growing demand for bone replacement materials. Initial mechanical stability of synthetic bone grafts is very advantageous for certain clinical applications. Coupled with the advantage of mechanical strength, a material with inherent antibacterial properties would be very beneficial. A series of strontium-doped zinc silicate (Ca-Sr-Na-Zn-Si) glass ceramics have been characterized in terms of their crystalline structure, biaxial flexural strength and antibacterial efficacy based on the identification of optimum sintering conditions. All three glass ceramics, namely, BT110, BT111, and BT112 were found to be fully crystalline, with BT111 and BT112 comprising of biocompatible crystalline phases. The biaxial flexural strengths of the three glass ceramics ranged from 70 to 149 MPa and were shown to be superior to those of clinically established ceramics in dry conditions and following incubation in simulated physiological conditions. The bacteriostatic effect for each glass ceramic was also established, where BT112 showed an inhibitory effect against three of the most common bacteria found at implantation sites, namely, Enterococcus faecalis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results of the evaluation suggest that the materials studied offer advantages over current clinical materials and indicate the potential suitability of the glass ceramics as therapeutic bone grafts.
Medical Engineering Design and Innovation Centre, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland. mark.looney@cit.ie
Mark
M
Looney
Helen O'
HO
Shea
Lynda
L
Gunn
Dolores
D
Crowley
Daniel
D
Boyd
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015394:Molecular Structure; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017640:Silicates; D013324:Strontium; D015032:Zinc
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D017640:Silicates; C023506:Glass ceramics; D015032:Zinc; D013324:Strontium