During the past century, man-made materials and devices have been developed to the point at which they have been used successfully to replace and/or restore function to diseased or damaged tissues. In the field of orthopaedics, the use of metal implants has significantly improved the quality of life for countless individuals. Critical factors for implant success include proper design, material selection, and biocompatibility. While early research focused on the understanding biomechanical properties of the metal device, recent work has turned toward improving the biological properties of these devices. This has lead to the introduction of calcium phosphate (CaP) bioceramics as a bioactive interface between the bulk metal impart and the surrounding tissue. The first calcium phosphate coatings where produced via vapor phase routes but more recently, there has been the emergence of solution based and biomimetic methods. While each approach has its own intrinsic materials and biological properties, in general CaP coatings have the promise to improve implant biocompatibility and ultimately implant longevity.
Revised: November 10, 2005 |
Published: November 2, 2003