| The coating of implant surfaces with an apatite layer has become one of the most widely used methods to improve bonding to bone. The metal/apatite interface is, however, a region of chemical and mechanical weaknesses, which led some Authors to cast doubts on the long-term integrity of apatite coated implants. These concerns arc essentially related to coatings obtained by conventional plasma-spraying techniques. Recently, there have been attempts to produce coatings with better properties, particularly by acting at the surface preparation stages and by using alternative methods of deposition. Apatite deposition in a liquid phase is one of the new routes being explored. This paper attempts to focus on the main chemical processes involved in the stability of the metal/apatite interface, in order to establish the basic principles for further technological developments. © Springer-Verlag Ibérica 1997. |
