Strontium substitution of gelatin modified calcium hydrogen phosphates as porous hard tissue substitutes.

Aiming at the generation of a high strontium-containing degradable bone substitute, the exchange of calcium with strontium in gelatin-modified brushite was investigated. The ion substitution showed two mineral groups, the high-calcium containing minerals with a maximum measured molar Ca/Sr ratio of 80%/20% (mass ratio 63%/37%) and the high-strontium containing ones with a maximum measured molar Ca/Sr ratio of 21%/79% (mass ratio 10%/90%). In contrast to the high-strontium mineral phases, a high mass loss was observed for the calcium-based minerals during incubation in cell culture medium (alpha-MEM), but also an increase in strength owing to dissolution and re-precipitation. This resulted for the former in a decrease of cation concentration (Ca + Sr) in the medium, while the pH value decreased and the phosphate ion concentration rose significantly. The latter group of materials, the high-strontium containing ones, showed only a moderate change in mass and a decrease in strength, but the Ca + Sr concentration remained permanently above the initial calcium concentration in the medium. This might be advantageous for a future planned application by supporting bone regeneration on the cellular level.