Strontium substituted hydroxyapatite promotes direct primary human osteoblast maturation

Strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite (SrHAp) materials are known to actively promote bone formation. However, the optimum level of Sr inclusion needed elicit a physiologically relevant response from cells is unclear and can vary dependent on fabrication process employed. In this work (HAp), SrHAp powders (2, 5 10 wt% (i.e., 1, 2 at%) with respect [Sr/(Sr + Ca) ?100]), were synthesized purity Sr-substitution was confined in range 1–8 (1–4 at%). All samples contained rod-like crystals (<106 nm length), which decreased length increasing content, exhibited larger flatter (>300 length). TEM-EDX confirmed presence maintenance HAp lattice structure for both types crystals. Qualitative vitro evaluation using primary human ostesoblast (HOBC) cultured contact over 28 days showed that (in particular highest content) directly promotes maturation osteoblasts into osteocytes as compared observed HAp. As these contain no additives other than Sr, effects here only be attributed important levels samples.