Analysis of surface morphology and elemental composition in a glass-ceramic implanted in rat calvaria using MEV and EDX

The objective of this study was to analyze the surface morphology and elemental composition of a glass-ceramic developed with different proportions of wollastonite (W) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) implanted in a rat calvaria. The glass-ceramic was prepared with a mixture of W and TCP powders in proportions (W%/TCP%) equal to 20/80%, 60/40% and 80/20%, followed by sintering and processing to obtain granules with sizes between 400 and 600 μm, which were implanted in rat calvaria and analyzed at biological points of 7, 15 and 45 days after implantation. For morphological analysis, the samples were micrographed under a scanning electron microscope and analyzed using the software ImageJ. The elemental analysis was carried out using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the different proportions of W and TCP promoted different changes in the microstructure of the remaining glass-ceramic along the biological points, as well as presenting different concentrations of O, Si, Ca and P. It is concluded that the different proportions of W and TCP gave the glass-ceramic different biodegradability behaviors after implantation in a bone site.