Bone ingrowth into three different porous ceramics implanted into the tibia of rats and rabbits.

Three different porous ceramics--calcium aluminate, calcium hydroxyapatite, and tricalcium phosphate--were implanted into the proximal tibia in rats and rabbits to study the interactions between these ceramics and a bony site that is abundant in bone marrow. New bone was consistently formed within the bone marrow surrounding and adjacent to all three types of ceramics. Calcium hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate ceramics permitted bone ingrowth into their pores. The newly formed bone was found only in the part of the ceramic intruding into the bone, not in the portion protruding in the soft tissues outside the tibia. Partial replacement of the new bone opposite the medullary portion by new hemopoietic marrow occurred with longer implantation times. In contrast, no bone was seen within the pores of any of the calcium aluminate implants.