Hydroxylapatite and its biomedical application

When a problem arises in the bones, for example a fracture or wear, and a prosthesis or an implant has to be used, there is a possibility of rejection. Our body does not accept any material and if it is a bone filling it is more demanding. Hence, hydroxyapatite and its biomedical application is a rising value.

Hydroxyapatite is a biocrystal, made up of calcium, phosphorus and hydrogen atoms, which is found mainly in bones and teeth and gives them their characteristic hardness. In addition, it always works in collaboration with collagen, giving rise to a composite material with extraordinary characteristics.

At the same time it is also a mineral, which is part of metamorphic rocks. It is a calcium phosphate, with a larger particle size. Its importance lies in the fact that it is a biocompatible material, that is, when it comes in contact with the body, it accepts it properly and there is no rejection.

This means that hydroxyapatite offers great possibilities in its biomedical application. And this has been demonstrated in Dentistry, Orthopedics and Maxillofacial Surgery. It is used as a coating material for prostheses or implants, as a filling substance or to form prostheses or implants.

In dentistry it is mainly used in dental hygiene products and implants. Combining it with fluoride helps increase the resistance of enamel and dentin, repairs imperfections and prevents enamel demineralization.

With regard to Maxillofacial Surgery, the biomedical applications of hydroxyapatite are aimed at facial reconstructions.

But where more progress is being made in the use of this biomaterial is in orthopedics. Specifically in the hydroxyapatite coatings of joint prostheses. Why?

Because it has been shown that they accelerate the process of bone formation, as they are made up of a calcium phosphate with practically the same ratio of calcium and phosphorus as human bone. Being a bioactive material, hydroxyapatite can integrate into bone structures and support their growth without breaking down or dissolving. It also has the ability to accelerate the reconstruction of bone tissue on the surface of the metal implant, creating a rapid union.

Another advantage of hydroxyapatite coatings is that they improve the growth of bone tissue through the pores of the coating, and offer good mechanical stability in the implant fixation process.

At Biovac we work with hydroxyapatite in various coatings, alone or in combination with titanium, where the advantages of the roughness and/or porosity of titanium and the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite are combined.

They are also coatings resistant to both corrosion and wear, to prolong and lengthen the useful life of the prostheses and, therefore, the health of the people implanted.

These coatings are the result of a business know-how of more than 30 years with exclusive methodologies and verified in our laboratories. The intended objective of hydroxyapatite coatings is osseointegration, the process by which bone cells adhere to a metal surface.

With it, the union is much more stable, natural and allows a wider range of movement.