Influence of albumin on mineralization of PMMA-based/glass composites

Purpose: The formation of a calcium phosphate layer on the surface of bone tissue engineering biomaterials is crucial for their integration in bone. Simulated biological fluids used to study the in vitro formation of those layers do not usually contain important organic components present in vivo-notably proteins. In this work the influence of bovine serum albumin on the mineralization process of poly(methylmethacrylate)-based composite was studied in vitro. Methods: The effect of protein on calcium phosphate formation was followed by ion concentration analyses (ICP), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Results and Conclusions: The results showed the precipitation of a calcium phosphate layer on the surface of composites immersed in SBF and SBFA. Further transformation and crystallization of this layer, initially amorphous, appears to be influenced by the presence of albumin.