Engineering Commons^™

A Novel In Vitro Model To Study The Calcification Of Biomaterials, Q. Liu, J. Weng, J. G. C. Wolke, J. R. De Wijn, C. A. Van Blitterswijk

Cells and Materials

A novel in vitro model based on a solution mainly composed of sodium, calcium, chloride and phosphate ions, was developed to study the calcification of biomaterials at near physiological conditions. This model, due to its ability to quickly calcify the tested materials, is called Accelerated Calcification Solution (ACS). Polyactive ™ 30170, Polyactive™ 70/30 and its composites with nano-apatite were used as testing materials because of their known calcification behaviour. The results showed that Polyactive™ 70/30 and its composites could calcify in ACS in a relatively short period, while the polymer without filler failed to induce calcium phosphate precipitation in more …

Investigation Of Bone And Calcium Phosphate Coatings And Crystallinity Determination Using Raman Microspectroscopy, C. J. De Grauw, J. D. De Bruijn, C. Otto, J. Greve

Cells and Materials

Conventional spontaneous Raman micro-spectroscopy was used for the investigation of bone and calcium phosphate coatings on bone-implant surfaces. Chemical and structural changes at the bone-coating interface could be monitored on a microscopic scale. It was shown that the crystallinity did not vary within the crystalline apatite and amorphous calcium phosphate coatings, while the density within each coating did vary. Different degrees of crystallinity in coatings were investigated for a series of plasma-sprayed apatite coatings. It is concluded that Raman microspectroscopy is an easy non-destructive way to obtain information about the apatite structure and the degree of crystallinity.

Scanning Electron Microscopy Studies Of Ceramic Layers And Interfacial Regions For Calcium Phosphate-Coated Titanium Dental Implants, W. A. Brantley, E. Tufecki, J. C. Mitchell, D. W. Foreman, E. A. Mcglumphy

Cells and Materials

The surface and cross-section characteristics of the plasma-sprayed calcium phosphate coatings, along with the microstructures and elemental compositions near the titanium alloy interface, were investigated by scanning electron microscopy for two different dental implants of proprietary compositions: Integra!® (Calcitek) and BioVent ® (Dentsply). Elemental concentrations (Ca, P, Ti, AI, and V) near the interfaces were obtained by X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Coating surfaces exhibited a splat deposition topography of greatly differing microstructural scale for the two implants, along with other features characteristic of the plasma-spraying process; cross-sections of the coatings revealed minimal porosity. Some interdiffusion of principally titanium and calcium was …

Analysis Of The Bony Interface With Various Types Of Hydroxyapatite In Vitro, J. D. De Bruijn, J. S. Flach, K. De Groot, C. A. Van Blitterswijk, J. E. Davies

Cells and Materials

Rat bone marrow cells, capable of forming bonelike tissue, were cultured on three types of plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite that differed in degree of crystallinity from 15%, 43% to 69%. The interface between the mineralized extracellular matrix and the hydroxyapatite was studied with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. At the onset of bone formation, calcium and phosphorous-rich afibrillar globules, with a diameter varying from 0.2 to 0.8 μm, were produced and deposited onto the different substrata. These globules subsequently fused to form a homogeneous layer to which collagen fibres became anchored. Individual globules could be distinguished on the non-degrading 69 % …

Osteoclastic Resorption Of Calcium Phosphate Ceramic Thin Films, J. E. Davies, G. Shapiro, B. F. Lowenberg

Cells and Materials

Sub-micron calcium phosphate ceramic thin films were formed by vertically dipping transparent quartz plates in a particulate sol-gel suspension. Primary adult rat bone marrow cell populations were cultured on the ceramic thin films in conditions known to allow the differentiation of cells of the osteoclast lineage. Monitoring the cultures for periods of 11 to 28 days revealed the creation of resorption lacunae in the thin films by multinucleate cells. Some cultures were heated at 42 °C overnight to remove adherent cells; using bright field light microscopy (LM), after staining with silver nitrate, the degree of resorption could be easily assessed. …

Pulpal Response To Calcium Phosphate Materials. In Vivo Study Of Calcium Phosphate Materials In Endodontics, A. H. Jean, J. A. Pouezat, G. Daculsi

Cells and Materials

The aim of this study was to determine if calcium phosphate (CaP) materials could be used to substitute for calcium hydroxide (CH) as a pulp capping agent. Especially prepared and characterized CaP materials with CH as the reference or control material were used for pulpcapping teeth of pigs, rats, and dogs. The CaP materials included: DCPD (dicalcium phosphate dihydrate), OCP (octacalcium phosphate), ß-TCP ({3-tricalcium phosphate), BCP (biphasic calcium phosphate mixture of 50150 HA and ß-TCP), and HA (hydroxyapatite) which were used in particle sizes of < 5 μm or < 150 μm. The animals were sacrificed after 21 days to …

Influence Of Crystal Structure On The Establishment Of The Bone-Calcium Phosphate Interface In Vitro, J. D. De Bruijn, C. P. A. T. Klein, K. De Groot, C. A. Van Blitterswijk

Cells and Materials

An in vitro rat bone marrow cell system was used to examine the interfacial ultrastructure established between various calcium phosphates and mineralized tissue. The investigated calcium phosphates comprised hydroxyapatite (HA), fluorapatite (FA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP), tetracalcium phosphate (TECP) and magnesium whitlockite (MWL). Both scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the elaborated interface. The time in which a mineralized extracellular matrix was formed on the various materials differed from 2 weeks on HA, TCP and TECP, to 8 weeks on FA. It was only occasionally observed in some areas on MWL, which might have been due to aluminum …

Apatite - Cholesterol Agglomerates In Human Atherosclerotic Lesions, Sara Sarig, Danielle Hirsch, Reuven Azoury, Teddy A. Weiss, Iony Katz, Howard S. Kruth

Cells and Materials

The purpose of this study was to examine the ultrastructural relationships of cholesterol crystals and apatite deposits in human atherosclerotic lesions. Segments of human aortic atherosclerotic lesions were obtained at autopsy , fixed in glutaraldehyde and dehydrated without using any organic solvents. The aortic segments were coated with carbon and subjected to various scanning electron microscope analyses. These included secondary electron imaging, back scattering of primary electrons, energy dispersive X-ray analysis of selected spots followed by area mapping of calcium and phosphorus , and cathodoluminescence.

The information gathered from scanning of selected areas in the lesions by all the techniques …