BIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO CALCIUM-PHOSPHATE CERAMIC IMPLANTS - RESULTS OF ANIMAL-EXPERIMENTS

Calciumphosphate-ceramics have been intensively investigated as bone r eplacement materials for more than twenty yea rs. In consequence to nu merous experimental as well as clinical implantations Tricalciumphosph ate-ceramic and Hydroxyapatite-ceramic proved to be the most suitable substances. Nevertheless, due to several shortcomings, these synthetic bone replacement materials can up to now in net way replace autogenou s bone, the 'golden standard', far all indications of the clinical set ting. The reason for this is that despite our ever increasing knowledg e of materials' and host bed properties we still are unable to securel y predict the outcome after the implantation of such synthetic substit utes. The article reviews the most important biological reactions in m ammals and explains the underlying causes.