Study of the mechanical property and in vitro biocompatibility of CaSiO3 ceramics

Calcium silicate (CaSiO3) ceramics were prepared by pressureless sintering. The effects of the sintering temperature and holding time on the mechanical strength, porosity and linear shrinkage of the ceramics, and the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MMSC) were investigated. When the sintering temperature and holding time increased, the linear shrinkage of the ceramics increased and the porosity decreased. The CaSiO3 ceramics sintered at 1100 °C for 5 h revealed a mechanical strength of 95.03 ± 7.11 MPa, similar to the bending strength of human cortical bone. In addition, the adhesion and proliferation of MMSC on the CaSiO3 ceramics was examined and the results showed that the ceramics supported cell adhesion and proliferation, which indicated good biocompatibility. Our results suggested that CaSiO3 ceramics might be a potential bioactive material as bone implant.