Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Attempts to mimic the calcium orthophosphate nature of bones
were first performed in 1913 [540]. This discovery was clarified
afterwards, suggesting that the bone mineral could be carbonated
apatite [541, 542]. Further optical and X-ray analysis of bones and
other mineralized tissues matched analyses of two apatites: FA and
dahllite [543]. Additional historical data on this point are available
in literature [41]. Nowadays, according to Weiner and Wagner: “the
term bone refers to a family of materials, all of which are built up of
mineralized collagen fibrils” [544, 545]. For mammals, this family of
materials includes dentine — the material that constitutes the inner
layers of teeth, cementum — the thin layer that binds the roots of
teeth to the jaw, deer antlers and some other materials [544, 546].
It is worth noting, that bones and teeth contain almost 99% of the
total body calcium and about 85% of the total body phosphorus that
amounts to a combined mass of approximately 2 kg in an average
person [547, 548]. In addition, it is important to recognize that
calcium orthophosphates of bones are by no means inert; they play
an important role in the metabolic functions of the body. The recent
data on the physico-chemical and crystallographic study of biological
apatite have been reviewed elsewhere [535]. Besides, there is a
comprehensive review on the application of surface science methods
to study the properties of dental materials and related biomaterials
[549].
1.4.1
Bone
Bone, also called osseous tissue (Latin:
), is a type of hard
endoskeletal connective tissue found in many vertebrate animals.
All bones of a single animal are, collectively, known as the skeleton.
True bones are present in bony fish (osteichthyes) and all tetrapods.
Bones support body structures, protect internal organs and, in
conjunction with muscles, facilitate movement [550]. In addition,
bones are also involved with blood cell formation, calcium
metabolism and act for mineral storage. From the material point of
view, bone is a dynamic, highly vascularized tissue that is formed
from a complicated biocomposite containing both inorganic (Table
1.2) and bioorganic (chiefly, collagen) compounds [533, 551-557].
more than 20 human collagens have been reported in the human
body, among which type I collagen is the most abundant protein
and provides much of the structural integrity for connective tissue,
os
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