Atmospheric pressure
plasma treatments are nowadays gaining importance
to improve the performance of biomaterials in the orthopedic field.
Among those, magnesium phosphate-based cements (MPCs) have recently
shown attractive features as bone repair materials. The effect of
plasma treatments on such cements, which has not been investigated
so far, could represent an innovative strategy to modify MPCs’
physicochemical properties and to tune their interaction with cells.
MPCs were prepared and treated for 5, 7.5, and 10 min with a cold
atmospheric pressure plasma jet. The reactive nitrogen and oxygen
species formed during the treatment were characterized. The surfaces
of MPCs were studied in terms of the phase composition, morphology,
and topography. After a preliminary test in simulated body fluid,
the proliferation, adhesion, and osteogenic differentiation of human
mesenchymal cells on MPCs were assessed. Plasma treatments induce
modifications in the relative amounts of struvite, newberyite, and
farringtonite on the surfaces on MPCs in a time-dependent fashion.
Nonetheless, all investigated scaffolds show a good biocompatibility
and cell adhesion, also supporting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal
cells.