biological responses, especially in terms of cell proliferation. Here, we used basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in an -tricalcium phosphate cement with different initial powder sizes (coarse vs. fine; designated as CPC-C and CPC-F, respectively) and investigated the behavior of bFGF loading and release, as well as the effects on osteoblast responses. bFGF was loaded at 10 g/ml or 25 g/ml onto the set form of two types of CPCs, aiming to allow penetration into the pore structure and adsorption onto the cement crystallites. The CPC formulated with fine powder (CPC-F) had higher specific surface area and smaller-sized pores and retained slightly higher amounts of bFGF within the structure. The bFGF release study performed for 3 weeks showed a sustained-release profile; after an initial rapid release over approximately...