Fabrication of PLLA/C3S Composite Membrane for the Prevention of Bone Cement Leakage

Comprehensive evaluation and advanced modification of polymethylmethacrylate cement in bone tumor treatment

Bone tumors are invasive diseases with a tendency toward recurrence, disability, and high mortality rates due to their grievous complications. As a commercial polymeric biomaterial, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement possesses remarkable mechanical properties, injectability, and plasticity and is, therefore, frequently applied in bone tissue engineering. Numerous positive effects in bone tumor treatment have been demonstrated, including biomechanical stabilization, analgesic effects, and tumor recurrence prevention. However, to our knowledge, a comprehensive evaluation of the application of the PMMA cement in bone tumor treatment has not yet been reported. This review comprehensively evaluates the efficiency and complications of the PMMA cement in bone tumor treatment, for the first time, and introduces advanced modification strategies, providing an objective and reliable reference for the application of the PMMA cement in treating bone tumors. We have also summarized the current research on modifications to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of the PMMA cement, such as drug carriers and magnetic hyperthermia.

Restoring the electrical microenvironment using ferroelectric nanocomposite membranes to enhance alveolar ridge regeneration in a mini-pig preclinical model

The maintenance and incremental growth of the alveolar bone at the tooth extraction site, to achieve the required height and width for implant restoration, remains a major clinical challenge. Here, the concept of restoring the electrical microenvironment to improve the effects of alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) was investigated in a mini-pig preclinical model. The endogeneous electrical microenvironment of the dental alveolar socket was recapitulated by fabricating a biomimetic ferroelectric BaTiO₃/poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluoroethylene) (BTO/P(VDF-TrFE)) non-resorbable nanocomposite membrane polarized by corona poling. The polarized nanocomposite membrane exhibited excellent electrical stability. After implantation with bone grafts and covering with the charged membrane in tooth extraction sites for three months, both the vertical and horizontal dimension resorption of the alveolar ridge were significantly prevented, as assessed by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) analyses. Micro-CT analysis showed that the charged membrane induced significant enhancement of newly regenerated bone at the tooth extraction sites. Histological analysis further confirmed that the restoration of the electrical microenvironment significantly promoted buccal alveolar bone regeneration and maturation. In addition, the charged membranes can maintain their structural integrity during the entire implantation period and exhibit positive long-term systemic safety, as assessed by preclinical sub-chronic systemic toxicity. These findings thus provide an innovative strategy for restoring the electrical microenvironment to enhance ARP following dentition defect and edentulism, which could further advance prosthodontics implant technology.