title: Ultrastructural study of an apatite layer formed by a biomimetic process and its bonding to bone.
abstract: A dense and uniform apatite layer about 20 microns thick was formed on a poly(ether sulphone) (PESF) substrate treated with glow discharge in O2 gas by a biomimetic process. The apatite-polymer composite obtained was implanted into a rabbit tibia and the structure of the PESF-apatite-bone interface was observed under a scanning and a transmission electron microscope 8 weeks after implantation. The apatite layer formed by the biomimetic process was confirmed to consist of small crystals of apatite with a structure similar to that of apatite in bone. The apatite layer remained on the substrate in the body, and bonded to the apatite in bone directly. This type of apatite-organic polymer composite expected to be useful as bone-repairing material.
authors.affiliation: Division of Material Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katsura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D003460:Crystallization; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010100:Oxygen; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011817:Rabbits; D013450:Sulfones / Q000378:metabolism*; D013977:Tibia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D011108:Polymers; D013450:Sulfones; C022840:polyether sulfone; D010100:Oxygen