Synthetic Aragonite (CaCO₃) as a Potential Additive in Calcium Phosphate Cements: Evaluation in Tris‐FreeSBFat 37°C

Abstract

Conventional SBF (simulated/synthetic body fluid) solutions are buffered at pH 7.4°C and 37°C using 50 mM Tris [(HOCH 2 ) 3 CNH 2 ]. Tris is not present in human blood or metabolism and its high concentration makes it the third major component of SBF solutions. All three crystalline polymorphs of calcium carbonate (calcite, aragonite and vaterite) have never been tested simultaneously in an SBF solution. This study presents the SBF-testing of the particles of these polymorphs at 37°C in Na-L-lactate (22 mM)-buffered Lac-SBF solution. While the calcite rhombohedra remained completely inert in the solution, vaterite spherulites and aragonite needles accrued apatitic CaP (calcium phosphate) deposits on their surfaces. Mg-doped (1050 ppm) synthetic aragonite particles did not transform into calcite for 96 h in the Lac-SBF solution while increasing their BET surface area by about 560% via the apatitic CaP deposits. Given the well-established use of calcite powders in CaP cement formulations, synthetic aragonite particles may be a potential replacement for calcite due to their rapid response to blood plasma-like solutions in between 24 and 48 h at 37°C.

Biomimetic Coating of Modified Titanium Surfaces with Hydroxyapatite Using Simulated Body Fluid

“…Generally, biomimetic coating processes are performed for about seven to fourteen days [35]. There are some treatment methods however that temper with the concentration and constituents of Tas-SBF solutions and can considerably reduce the Tas-SBF immersion time to create a favourable HA/calcium phosphate deposition [36,37]. This study was conversely able to ascertain that it is possible to reduce the time of Tas-SBF immersion while maintaining the standard Tas-SBF solution concentration.…”

Aragonite coating solutions (ACS) based on artificial seawater

“…Aragonite is recently shown to be able to rapidly respond to SBF solutions (at the human body temperature of 37 • C) by transforming itself into bone mineral-like carbonated apatitic calcium phosphate, while calcite does not have this ability [75]. CaCO 3 is much more resorbable than ␤-tricalcium phosphate (␤-Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) and this fact was proved by the in vitro cell culture study of Monchau et al [76], which directly compared Ca-hydroxyapatite, ␤-tricalcium phosphate, and CaCO 3 with one another by using both human and rat osteoclasts.…”