Effects of the carbonate content in carbonate apatite on bone replacement
Kaai Deguchi, Shunsuke Nomura, Akira Tsuchiya, Ichiro Takahashi, Kunio Ishikawa
Abstract
Carbonate apatite (CO3Ap), an inorganic component of human bone, has been clinically applied as an artificial bone substitute. In this study, the effects of the CO3 content in CO3Ap on the replacement by new bone were studied by fabricating CO3Ap granules containing 0.9–8.3 wt% of CO3. The dissolution rate of CO3Ap in a weak acidic solution, mimicking the Howship's lacunae, was rapid for the CO3Ap granules containing a larger amount of CO3. Histological analyses demonstrated the rapid resorption in CO3Ap and replacement by natural bone tissue when the CO3 content was increased. Therefore, the CO3 content in CO3Ap is a key factor that influences the replacement of the bone tissue.