Cemented injectable multi-phased porous bone grafts for the treatment of femoral head necrosis

Femoral head necrosis (FHN) can induce musculoskeletal disability. It presents a challenge from diagnostic and therapeutic points of view. Open surgery for the treatment of FHN is not an optimal route. To minimize the surgery window, an injectable material with a porous structure and bioactive nature is preferred. The fabrication of an injectable porous bone graft via a simple route was the aim of our study. Therefore, cemented multi-phased calcium phosphate porous granules have been studied with varied phase compositions, pore sizes and porosities, and degradation rates. Granules templated by PEG 100-600 mu m were chosen for cell toxicity and in vitro osteogenic potential testing. Rabbits, making up a femoral head necrosis model, were implanted with granule A. Mature cancellous bone tissue was observed in the femoral head defect after 2 months implantation. The results indicate that the newly formed injectable bioactive porous grafts could be a good candidate for the treatment of femoral head necrosis.