Calcium phosphates and related composites as a biomaterial for bone repair: a review

Abstract

CALCIUM PHOSPHATES AND RELATED COMPOSITES AS A BIOMATERIAL FOR BONE REPAIR: A REVIEW Djarwani S. Soejoko Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences, University ofIndonesia Email: djarwani(Ci)fisika.ui.ac.id ABSTRACT As biomaterial several characters are required, such as biocompatible, bioactive, and to form interface structure with the host tissues when it is implanted. Calcium phosphates, in the form of hydroxyapatites (HAP) and tri calcium phosphates (TCP), and its related composites have been considerably known for bone repair. In our laboratory several efforts have been done to these materials to meet the requirements of being used as biomaterial. Synthetic HAP is produced by precipitation and then calcined to get a mixture of HA and TCP. In order to have porous composites, HAP was growth on polymer such as polyglicolide (PGA) and chitin as well. It has been also investigated to use calcium source from egg shells as precursors of HAP formation. The result materials were characterized mostly by using XRD, FTIR, and SEM Currently we are waiting the result of using these materials which have been implanted in sheep bones. Keywords: biomaterial, hydroxyapatite, tri calcium phosphate, porous composite INTRODUCTION Calcium phosphate compounds and related composites have been explored for biomaterials for more than 20 years (Min Wang 2004). It has been reported that hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) were already successfully in clinical application. These ceramics has been used clinically for management of variety cavitary defects resulting from bone tumor and/or cyst resection ((J.E. Block and M. R. Thorn, 2000). Moreover it was stated that new bone surrounding the HA implant could be seen in radiographs after 2-3 months post surgery. Complete bone healing was also reported when TCP was used to fill cavitary defects. Applications of these ceramics and related composites not only for bone cavitary defects, but in other orthopedic surgery procedures are also promising. Our laboratory just started to study calcium phosphate compounds and related composites in 2004. In this report we would like to inform several results of our works. We characterized biological apatites from animal bones and human bone as well, and compare them with synthetic apatites. At the same time we treated synthetic HA and TCP, and growth them on polymers in order to find biocompatible and bioactive composites. This year we implant our result studies (HA and TCP, and HA-chitin composite) in sheep bones, and at this time we are waiting the results. We expect that next year we can start to implant our result studies in human bone.