Alendronate-loaded gelatin microparticles as templating agents for macroporous magnesium phosphate-based bone cements

Abstract Magnesium phosphate-based cements (MPCs) have recently attracted great attention as materials for bone repair. However, the lack of macroporosity, fundamental cells permeation and ingrowth, is one main limitations hampering MPCs full exploitation. In this work gelatin microparticles are exploited templating agents creation macroporosities in MPCs. addition, particles were loaded with a well-recognized drug treatment osteoporosis, alendronate, to locally release therapeutic agent. Gelatin different size prepared simple water-in-oil emulsion method included at various concentrations. The properties both final material characterized by assessing composite terms injectability, setting time, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy confocal Raman microscopy. MPC-gelatin composites then incubated water physiological temperature, promote dissolution gelatin, obtain macroporous cement, alendronate. obtained results show that twofold action they allow formation MPC an interconnected hundreds µm-sized porosity local resulting ideal features Graphical abstract