Preparation of a bone-like apatite foam cement

The preparation of a porous bone-like calcium deficient apatite implant material was investigated. A novel cement system composed of an equimolar mixture of Ca-4(PO4)(2)O, Ca(H2PO4)(2).H2O, and CaCO3 was used. At a liquid/powder ratio of 0.83 ml/g low density open framework foam cements were formed due to the rapid evolution of CO2. The initial product of the reactants was CaHPO4. 2H(2)O which then reacted with Ca-4(PO4)(2)O, forming a calcium deficient carbonated apatite, upon soaking of the cement blocks in SBF. Foam-like cements were composed of a plate-like apatite due to epitaxial overgrowth and conversion of the brushite plate precursor. Cylinders of the foam cement were reinforced with an outer layer of a solid apatite cement to form a material suitable for application as a bone-section implant. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.