ABSTRACT
Self-setting calcium phosphate cements (CPC) have been a subject of considerable interest in recent years. These materials contain only calcium phosphates, have neutral pH, and form hydroxyapatite (OHAp) as the end product. As a result, the cements were found to be highly biocompatible and osteoconductive. Since CPC also sets to a hard mass at the site of application, it has been shown in experimental studies to be highly useful in a wide range of dental and medical procedures. 1–10 Among the self-setting calcium phosphate cement systems, those cements that consist of tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) and dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA) or dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) form OHAp as the only reaction product. 11–13 The chemistry of reactions between TTCP and DCPA or DCPD have been studied extensively. 11–23 This paper reports the effects of several additional factors on the formation of OHAp in the TTCP + DCPA system. Also described is the formation of OHAp in new cement compositions comprising TTCP and a-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP), octacalcium phosphate (OCP), amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), or monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM).
