Hydroxyapatite [HA-Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 ] with chemical composition is similar to the mineral phase of natural bone and teeth. It is biocompatible, bioactive, bioresorbable andnon-toxic. It has been widely used in orthopaedics and dentistry. Osteoporosis is a very common disease in our society. It causes bone fracture to many people especially people at old age. It is not a deadly disease or rather a silent disease, but it affects the quality of life of the patients. A common treatment for osteoporosis, bone fractures, or space vacated by bone screws, donor bone and tumor bone is the implantation of orthopaedic prosthetic or by filling the fracture or spaces with hydroxyapatite. However, micro size or granules of hydroxyapatite prepared were brittle and have low mechanical strength. This limits its applications.
In her work, Lee prepared nanohydroxyapatite particles by an economical chemical method i.e. co-precipitation of compounds of calcium, phosphate, hydroxides, and an emulsifier in a 5-neck round bottom flask. Hydroxyapatite formed instantaneously. It was then centrifuged, autoclaved, freeze dried and calcined. Rod shape hydroxyapatite of 65 x 15 nm nanoparticles was obtained. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles produced would have improved properties than micro-hyroxyapatite giving better potential applications as bone materials. It may alleviate the sufferings of patients and enable them to lead a better quality of life.
Contact
LEE (KOK) PAT MOI
UiTM, Shah Alam
Malaysia
Reported by Megawati Omar
Research Management Institute
UiTM
Malaysia
