An apatite-wollastonite glass ceramic (AWGC) has been recognized as one of the popular bioactive materials due to its good osteoconductivity and high mechanical properties in the field of tissue engineering. Various processes have been developed to fabricate AWGCs. Among them, the sol-gel process is one of the most popular processes. However, sol-gel has the drawbacks of discontinuous processing and long processing time, making it unsuitable for mass production. This study demonstrates a successful synthesis of AWGCs using a spray pyrolysis method to overcome these drawbacks, and the prepared pellets were sintered at temperatures of 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1100 °C for four hours. In addition, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy were used to obtain the phase composition, morphology, and chemical information of AWGCs. For bioactive measurements, among these AWGC samples, the 1100 °C sintered sample reveals the highest bioactivity. The MTT result indicates that all AWGCs are not non-toxic to the MC3T3-E1 cells and increase the growth rate of MC3T3-E1 cells.

Background: Achilles tendon ruptures are one of the most common sports injuries. Recently, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely used in tendon-related disorders to enhance tendon healing. However, studies regarding PRP treatment in Achilles tendon rupture show inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PRP in patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture treated with endoscopy-assisted percutaneous repair. Methods: A total of 62 patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture treated with surgical repair from January 2014 to December 2018 were enrolled in this study. Surgical repair in conjunction with PRP augmentation after surgery was classified as the PRP group. Surgical repair without PRP augmentation was classified as the non-PRP group. All patients were followed up at least 2 years post-operation. The outcomes were evaluated on the basis of rate of return to sports, time to return to play, Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS), calf circumference ratio, ankle range of motion (ROM) and complications following surgery. Results: At 2-year follow-up, the ATRS score was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.8), but the ATRS score in both groups improved with time. Rate of return to sports and time to return to play were not different between the two groups (p = 1.00). Moreover, calf circumference ratio and ankle ROM were evaluated at 6-month, 12-month, 18-month and 24-month follow-ups. At 6 months, the PRP group had better ankle ROM (p = 0.003) and a higher calf circumference ratio (p = 0.011); however, at the 24-month evaluation, there were no between-group differences regarding calf circumference ratio, ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion (p > 0.05). Conclusion: We show that PRP augmentation in Achilles tendon surgery did not yield superior functional and clinical outcomes. Therefore, clinicians should inform patients of the above information when undergoing Achilles tendon surgery and offer correct expectations to family and patients regrading PRP treatment.

Forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) materials have been used in the industrial applications of refractory materials, bone grafting materials, and microwave dielectric materials. In order to avoid the formation of the secondary phase of MgO or MgSiO₃, spray pyrolysis with the precursors of magnesium nitrate hydrate and tetraethyl orthosilicate has been applied to synthesized Mg₂SiO₄ powders. In this study, three typical morphologies of smooth solid sphere, rough hollow sphere, and concaved hollow sphere were observed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The experimental results suggested that morphology and particle size distribution are strongly influenced by the calcination temperature. Finally, the corresponding powder formation mechanisms were proposed and discussed.