Bone-like apatite is a carbonated hydroxyapatite with a small crystallite and low crystallinity. The formation of a layer consisting of bone-like apatite is an essential condition for bioactive materials to achieve direct bonding with living bone. A bone-like apatite layer can be formed on the surface of organic substrates in a solution mimicking a body fluid when some functional groups are introduced to organic substrates. This process is a biomimetic process because a simulated body fluid and related solutions are used to deposit bone-like apatite crystals and promote crystal growth. Coating of bone-like apatite layers through biomimetic processes has received much attention in the fabrication of novel composites with bone-bonding properties, i.e. bioactivity, and mechanical properties analogous to those of living bone tissues. This paper reviews recent developments in coating with bone-like apatite layers using biomimetic processes.
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd