Determination of the ratio of HA/TCP mixtures by x‐ray diffraction

Previous studies have shown that synthetic calcium phosphate ceramics are biocompatible materials capable of providing scaffolding for new bone growth as well as osteogenesis. In particular, hydroxylapatite (HA) is less soluble than β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) which has a higher degree of bioactivity. An implant made of dense hydroxylapatite shows substantially less bone growth than an implant made of a suitable HA/TCP ratio.1 Therefore, since biological response to the two materials is different, it is essential to have some means of determining the ratio of hydroxylapatite to β-tricalcium phosphate to ensure quality control of the synthetic ceramic as well as optimum biological response. In this study, a calibration curve was developed for x-ray diffractometer examination of mixtures of HA and β-TCP. The accuracy of using the diffractometer was compared to the accuracy of a powder camera, and it was determined that the diffractometer correctly identified the ratio within a range of 3% while the powder camera was accurate within a 20% range. This study showed that with an appropriate calibration curve, the HA/TCP ratio can be determined to a greater degree of accuracy using an x-ray diffractometer than by powder camera methods.