Cytocompatibility assessment of chemical surface treatments for phosphate glass to improve adhesion between glass and polyester

Fully resorbable phosphate glass fiber reinforced polymer composites have shown real potential for replacing some of the existing metallic bone fracture fixation devices. However, some of these composites have not provided suitable mechanical strength profiles over the required healing period for bone. Typically, it has been seen that these composites can lose up to 50% or more of their strength within the first week of degradation. Functionalizing the glass surface to promote polymer adhesion or to introduce hydrophobicity at the glass surface could potentially introduce control over the mechanical properties of the composite and their retention. In this study eight chemical agents namely, Glycerol 2‐phosphate disodium salt; 3‐phosphonopropionic acid; 3‐aminopropyltriethoxy silane; etidronic acid; hexamethylene diisocyanate; sorbitol/sodium ended PLA oligomers and amino phosphonic acid, were selected to functionalise the bulk phosphate glass surface. Selected chemical agents had one functional group (—OH or O C N) to react with the glass and another functionality (either —OH, NH_2, or Na) to react with the polymer matrix and/or produce hydrophobicity at the fiber surface. Bulk phosphate glass surface‐treated with the above agents were assessed for the cytotoxicity of degradation products cell‐material interaction in short‐ and long‐term direct cytocompatibility studies. Results obtained from these cytocompatibility studies (using human osteosarcoma (MG63) and primary human osteoblast cell lines) revealed no cytotoxicity from the degradation products and a response comparable to controls in terms of cell functions (attachment, viability, metabolic activity, proliferation, and differentiation) and morphology. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 101A: 3301–3310, 2013.