Calcium phosphate coatings containing an antibiotic were produced on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) implants using a biomimetic approach. Thin, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) coatings were first deposited onto Ti6Al4V plates by immersion in 5 times concentrated simulated body fluid (SBF), for 24h at 37 degrees C. The ACP-coated implants were then immersed in a supersaturated calcium phosphate (SCP) solution containing 0, 100, 200, 400, 600 or 800 mg/l of tobramycin for 48 h at 37 degrees C. A carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) layer, approximately 40 microm thick, was formed. Approximately 3 microg/mg of tobramycin was co-precipitated with the CHA crystals onto titanium alloy plates, using 800mg/l tobramycin in the coating solution. For comparison, plasma-sprayed calcium phosphate coatings were also immersed in solutions containing 100, 200, 400 or 1,000 mg/l of tobramycin for 10, 40 min, or 48 h. A maximum of about 0.3 microg/mg could be adsorbed onto the plasma-sprayed calcium phosphate coating with the comparable concentration of 800 mg/l in solution. The dissolution of coating and release of tobramycin were also measured in vitro using saline solution buffered at pH 5.0 or 7.3 at 37 degrees C. The release rate of tobramycin was faster at pH 7.3 than at pH 5, with 50 and 4 microg/ml/min, respectively. Tobramycin released from the biomimetic-coated plates could inhibit growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The result of this study, therefore, indicates that the biomimetic CHA coatings containing antibiotics could be used to prevent post-surgical infections in orthopaedic or trauma.