We aimed to develop a biocompatible treatment to overcome the limitations of
polymethyl methacrylate (
PMMA)
vertebroplasty for osteoporotic
compression fracture patients. We synthesized an
injectable hydrogel containing
PMMA. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) spheroids were included in the
injectable PMMA-doped gel (=
PMMA-doped spheroid gel). In vitro, the osteogenic/anti-inflammatory effects of the embedded spheroids were investigated by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method. In vivo, we used
ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporotic rats with injured femurs to investigate the
pain-relief effects. The OVX rats were divided into four groups according to the materials injected (non,
PMMA,
PMMA gel, and
PMMA-spheroid gel) into the lesion. The immunofluorescence (IF) intensity levels of painful markers in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were measured. In vitro, a volumetric ratio of the gel of 8 (gel):2 (
PMMA) was non-cytotoxic for MSCs and promoted the expression of osteogenic/anti-inflammatory markers. In vivo, the values of several bone parameters in the
PMMA-doped spheroid gel group showed remarkable increases compared to those in the
PMMA group. In addition, the IF intensity levels of the painful markers were noticeably decreased in the
PMMA-spheroid gel group. We, therefore, suggest that this treatment can be useful for osteoporotic vertebral
compression fracture patients.