A
potential load-bearing bone substitution and repair material,
that is, carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite
(CF/Mg-HAs) composites with excellent mechanical performance and tailored
biological properties, was constructed via the hydrothermal method
and spark plasma sintering. A high-resolution transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) was employed to characterize the nanostructure of
magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite (Mg-HA). TEM images showed that the
doping of Mg-induced distortions and dislocations in the hydroxyapatite
lattice, resulting in decreased crystallinity and enhanced dissolution.
Compressive strengths of 10% magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite (1Mg-HAs)
and CF-reinforced 1Mg-HAs (CF/1Mg-HAs) were within the range of that
of cortical bone. Compared with 1Mg-HAs, the fracture toughness of
CF/1Mg-HAs increased by approximately 38%. The bioactivity, biocompatibility,
and osteogenic induction properties of Mg-HAs and CF/Mg-HAs composites
were evaluated in vitro using simulated body fluid (SBF) immersion,
cell culture, osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal
stem cells (BMSCs), and expression of genes associated with osteogenesis.
When Mg-HAs were immersed in SBF, Mg2+ continued to release
for up to 21 days. Mg-HAs demonstrated a satisfactory ability to induce
apatite formation in comparison with HAs. The cell proliferation and
morphology on CF/1Mg-HAs were similar to those of 1Mg-HAs, suggesting
that adding CF had no adverse effect on cellular activity. The expression
levels of osteogenesis-related genes [osteocalcin (OPN), osteopontin (OCN), and runt-related transcription
factor 2 (Runx2)] on 1Mg-HAs were significantly higher
at days 3 and 7 than those on HAs and 0.5Mg-HAs groups. This finding
suggests that a certain amount of Mg doping had beneficial influences
in the different stages of osteogenic differentiation and could induce
osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The new bone volume to total
volume ratio of implanted 1Mg-HAs (30.9% ± 4.1%) and CF/1Mg-HAs
(25.4% ± 5.4%) was remarkably higher than that of HAs (21.6%
± 3.9%). 1Mg-HAs and CF/1Mg-HAs tailored an ideal effect of new
bone information and implant osseointegration. The excellent mechanical
performance and tailored biological properties of CF/Mg-HAs were attributed
to nano Mg-doped HA, CF reinforcing, refined microstructure, and controlled
composition.