Coralline bone graft substitutes.

Coralline porous ceramics are biocompatible and osteoconductive implants. They have proven to be effective as bone graft substitutes in large animal models and in humans. Bone and supporting soft tissue grow into and throughout their porosity if the implant is placed in direct apposition to viable bone and the interfaces are stabilized. The bone within the implant remodels in response to Wolff's law. Both the implant properties (chemistry and porosity) and the biologic environment modulate the rate of implant resorption. Composite technology with resorbable polymers can improve the mechanical properties of these ceramics.