Novel Ceramics For Biomedical Applications

It was found in a simulated body fluid (SBF) that functional groups such as Si-OH, Ti-OH, Zr-OH, Ta-OH, Nb-OH, COOH and PO4H2 are effective for the apatite nucleation. On the basis of these findings it was shown that NaOH- and heat-treated titanium, its alloys and tantalum, a H3PO4-treated zirconia ceramics and a CaO, Si02 glass-treated poly(ethylene terephthalate) form the bonelike apatite on their sufraces in SBF. Among them, NaOH- and heat-trated titanium, its alloys and tantalum were confirmed to form the apatite on their sufraces in vivo, and bond to living bone through the apatite layer.