Apatite Formation Induced by Silica Gel in a Simulated Body Fluid

Abstract

It has been confirmed that the essential condition for glasses and glass‐ceramics to bond to living bone is the formation of an apatite layer on their surfaces in the body. It has been proposed that a hydrated silica formed on the surfaces of these materials in the body plays an important role in forming the surface apatite layer, but this has not yet been proved. In the present study, it is shown experimentally that a pure hydrated silica gel can induce apatite formation on its surface in a simulated body fluid when its starting pH is increased from 7.2 to 7.4.