Self-setting, bioactive, and biodegradable TTCP-DCPD apatite cement

Tetracalcium phosphate-dicalcium phosphate dihydrate self-setting apatite cement mixed with low-crystallized seed hydroxyapatite is similar to the host bone in degree of crystallinity. The bonding strength of this cement with hydroxyapatite-coated titanium rods was twice that with noncoated titanium and four times that with stainless steel. Histologically, TTCP-DCPD apatite cement incorporated into the tibia of rabbits were degraded, absorbed, and replaced by the normal body trabeculae rapidly. The mechanical strength of the cement disk intercalated into a gap made in the rabbit tibiae increased to 73% of that of the normal tibia at 10 weeks concurrently with the decrease in bone mineral density of the disk toward that of the normal tibia, in which bony replacement of the disk was observed also histologically. These bioactive and biodegradative characters of this cement are due to the similarity of its degree of crystallinity to that of the host bone, and could expand its clinical applications. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.