CONTROL OF BETA-TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE BIOMATERIAL PROPERTIES BY METAL-ION-SUBSTITUTION

Abstract

β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) has a fast rate of bioabsorption, and has been used clinically as bioabsorbant ceramics that is absorbed in vivo and gradually replaced by newly formed bone. Here, we focus on various metal ions with regards to their solid solution substitution in β-TCP, and explain the effects of ion substitution in β-TCP on properties such as structural stability and solubility from a crystal chemistry viewpoint. We also discuss the possibility of metal-ion-subsituted β-TCP materials as hard tissue replacements. (Received Dec. 30, 2014; Accepted Feb. 21, 2015)