Characterization of the conversion of bone cement and borate bioactive glass composites

Borate bioactive glass 13‐93B3 converts into an osteoconductive hydroxyapatite‐like material in a liquid medium. In this study, 13‐93B3 was incorporated into a commercial PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) bone cement, and the conversion of the glass into a precipitate in solution was investigated with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (spectroscopy)—attenuated total reflection, and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Glass particles of 5, 33, and 100 μm diameter were each mixed with the PMMA cement to create 20, 30, and 40% glass‐loaded composites. Precipitate formation was found to be a calcium‐deficient apatite partially substituted with magnesium ions that resembles native bone material and would ideally encourage bone growth better than stoichiometric hydroxyapatite. Composites of bone cement and 13‐93B3 show promise as a means of encouraging bone attachment to the surface of the bone cement.