Biomechanical Performance and Handling of Mineral-Organic Adhesive Bone Cements Based on Magnesium Under Clinical Test Conditions.

Background/

Objectives

Biomineral adhesive bone adhesives composed of phosphoserine combined with magnesium oxides or phosphates exhibit exceptional adhesive properties. This study evaluates two experimental mineral-organic cementitious adhesives in a clinical test setup, investigating their potential for fracture reduction and simultaneous defect filling.

Methods

The two experimental adhesives (Groups B and C) and a standard hydroxyapatite cement (Group A, reference) underwent compressive strength testing, shear strength testing, and screw pullout tests as part of a first biomechanical characterization. Furthermore, all materials were tested in a porcine tibial split depression fracture model, where they served both for fracture reduction and for filling the metaphyseal bone defect, supplementary to plate osteosynthesis. Fracture stability was assessed under cyclic loading in a materials testing machine.

Results

The OPLS (O-phospho-L-serine) containing adhesive (Group B) demonstrated the highest compressive strength as well as the highest shear strength. All three materials showed comparable maximum pullout forces. Both experimental adhesives (Groups B and C) exhibited higher pullout stiffness compared to the standard cement (Group A). In the fracture model, no significant differences in displacement under cyclic loading were observed between groups.

Conclusions

The biomineral adhesive bone adhesives (Groups B and C) demonstrated biomechanical advantages in axial compression, adhesive (shear) strength, and screw fixation compared to the standard hydroxyapatite cement (Group A). Furthermore, they achieved comparable stabilization of metaphyseal fractures under clinically relevant dynamic loading conditions.