Measurement of thermal diffusivity of bone, hydroxyapatite and metals for biomedical application

We present a microstructural study and thermal diffusivity measurements at room temperature in two different sections of bull dense bone, bull bone an d commercial hydroxyapatite, the last two in powder form. A comparison tvas made between these measured values and those obtained from metallic sample s frequently used in implants such as high purity titanium and 316L stainle ss steel. Our results show that the porosity and its orientation in the bon e are two important factors for the heat flux through the bone. The hydroxy apatite, in compact powder form, presents a thermal diffusivity value very near to those obtained for the bone samples which gives a good thermal agre ement between these materials. Finally, one order of magnitude of differenc e among the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those corres ponding values to bone and hydroxyapatite was obtained, this difference bei ng greater in titanium than in stainless steel.