Sol-gel preparation and in vitro test of fluorapatite/hydroxyapatite films.

Fluorapatite/hydroxyapatite (FA/HA) films have been demonstrated to be a good alternative to pure hydroxyapatite (HA) ones in medical applications because of their bioactivity and relatively low solubility. In this study, Ca(NO(3))(2), P(2)O(5), and HPF(6) were used to prepare FA/HA films on Ti6Al4V substrate with the use of a sol-gel method. The F contents in the films could be tailored by adjusting the amount of HPF(6) added. The in vitro evaluation of the films was carried out in both SBF9# solution and TRIS buffer solution. The films with appropriate F contents showed a better ability to induce calcium phosphate deposition on their surfaces than either pure HA film and FA/HA films with even higher F content, as well as smaller dissolution amounts than HA film in TRIS buffer solution. Hence, the FA/HA films obtained in this work integrate both good bioactivity and stability, and could be a better choice for bioactive film on titanium alloys to produce high-quality implants. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.