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Abstract

Calcium phosphates useful as bone substitute material or for the manufacture of prosthetic devices have been prepared from calcium hydroxyapatite material which has a uniformly permeable microporous structure characterized by a substantially uniform pore volume in the range from about 10 to about 90% and by a pronounced three-dimensional fenestrate structure corresponding to the microstructure of the porous carbonate echinoderm or scleractinian coral skeletal material of marine life by reacting said calcium hydroxyapatite material which has a calcium to phosphorus atomic ratio of about 1.66 with a phosphate-contributing or phosphorus-contributing moiety or with a calcium-contributing or calcium oxide-contributing moiety so as to alter the calcium to phosphorus Ca/P atomic ratio to yield a calcium phosphate material retaining the above-described microstructure of the porous carbonate echinoderm or scleractinian coral skeletal material but having a calcium to phosphorus Ca/P atomic ratio less than or greater than 1.6, such as a calcium phosphate material comprising dicalcium phosphate and/or tricalcium phosphate and having a calcium to phosphorus Ca/P atomic ratio in the range 1.0-1.5 when the calcium hydroxyapatite material is reacted with said phosphate-contributing or phosphorus-contributing moiety or a calcium phosphate material having a calcium to phosphorus Ca/P atomic ratio greater than 1.66 up to 2.0 when the calcium hydroxyapatite material is reacted with said calcium-contributing or calcium oxide-contributing moiety and comprising tetracalcium phosphate.

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First Claim