Table 1.

Advantages and disadvantages of CaP bone cements.

Advantages of Injectable CaP Bone Cements

Application as minimally invasive surgery

Easy shaping – injectable, moldable and sets under physiological conditions

Bioactivity and Biocompatibility

Could be used as a local delivery vehicle for drugs/ions/therapeutic factors

Could be used as a fixative for implant to eliminate the risk of fracture displacement or implant loosening

Drawbacks of Injectable CaP Bone Cements

Low radiopacity – which makes it hard to detect in radiography fluoroscopy after surgery

Low mechanical properties – lead to brittle fractures or plastic deformations (which could further cause inflammation)

Rapid (for calcium sulfate-based cements) degradation – could cause local toxicity and mechanical instability at injection side (which could further cause insufficient or no bone ingrowth)

Relatively low bioactivity - could result in fibrous tissue formation