Abstract
A primary goal in modern orthopaedics is increasing the rate and long-lasting anchoring of implants in the human body. Hydroxyapatite, having a chemical structure and chemistry that is identical to bone, significantly enhances the on growth and subsequent ingrowth of natural bone material. Nevertheless some aspects of the performance of hydroxyapatite coatings have not been investigated sufficiently; for example the in vivo, long-term behaviour of the material, including the time-dependent dissolution accompanied by changes of mechanical properties have been poorly documented. The current study creates an idealized, virtual microstructural coating model that examines the time-dependent behaviour and properties of hydroxyapatite coatings. The analyses examine time vs. dissolution dependencies that reflect in vivo behaviour.
