New collagen-coated calcium phosphate synthetic bone filler (Synergoss®): A comparative surface analysis

Abstract

Replacement of bone loss or reconstruction of bone defect is still a clinical challenge. Synergoss® is a recently developed synthetic bone filler that exploits biomolecular surface engineering to deliver directly to the filler-implant interface the signaling properties of type I collagen. In this article, we compared Synergoss® bone filler with the most used materials present on the market derived from animal source (Bio-Oss®, Gen-Os®) or synthetic source (BoneCeramic®). All tested bone fillers were analyzed by ATR-IR, providing information concerning the chemical composition and the main functional groups. Surface zeta potential analysis shows a positive surface charge for Synergoss®, confirming that the material exposes a collagen nanolayer to the surrounding environment, unlike typical synthetic and bone-based fillers. The chemical composition of the first few nanometers of the surface of tested bone fillers was evaluated by XPS, and Synergoss® shows a significant amount of nitrogen (9.8 at%), which is not detected in any of the remaining materials. Morphological structure of Synergoss® (analyzed by SEM) shows a uniformly distributed micro- and macroporosity, which plays an essential role in influencing cell adhesion and blood vessel infiltration, nutrient transportation, and clot formation to stimulate the overall healing process.