Osteogenic effect of polymethyl methacrylate bone cement with surface modification of lactoferrin

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is a commonly used filling material in orthopedic surgery. Its good and stable performances make it the most widely used in all kinds of bone cement. With the advancement of the application and research of PMMA bone cement by surgeons, its disadvantages such as non-degradation and non-bioactivity are gradually exposed. In recent years, the biological functions of lactoferrin (LF) have been gradually explored, especially its role in promoting osteogenesis. In this study, LF was modified on the surface of solidified PMMA bone cement (LF/PMMA bone cement) by physical/chemical mixed modification and verified by cytological experiments in vitro. In vitro studies have implicated that PMMA bone cement modified with LF can improve the attachment, expansion, proliferation, extracellular matrix secretion and osteogenic differentiation of mouse preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) cells, indicating biocompatibility. This experiment provides a novel insight for improving the biological activity of PMMA bone cement and lays a foundation for broadening the clinical application of PMMA bone cement.