Enhanced osteobonding by negative surface charges of electrically polarized hydroxyapatite.

Negative surface charges of electrically polarized hydroxyapatite ceramics have been proven to enhance osteobonding in canine bone tissues. Even in a wide gap of 0.2 mm between hydroxyapatite and bone, the negatively charged hydroxyapatite conducted formation of unidirectionally oriented bone layer into direct contact with the hydroxyapatite surface 7 days after implantation. By day 14, the gap was filled with maturing bones linked to each other while conventional hydroxyapatite required at least 28 days for direct bone-to-bone contact. The electrostatic force was deduced to have affected both the activation of bone formation by myeloid cells and the orientation of the bone domain on negatively charged surfaces. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 57: 477-484, 2001