Osteoclastic resorption of calcium phosphate ceramics with different hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate ratios

To study the influence of calcium phosphate ceramic solubility on osteoclastic resorption, neonatal rabbit bone cells were cultured for 2 days on hydroxyapatite (HA), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and two types of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) with HA/β-TCP ratios of 25/75 and 75/25. Solubility was regulated by varying the ratio of less-soluble HA and more-soluble β-TCP. After removal of stromal cells by pronase E treatment, ceramic surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Osteoclasts resorbed BCP most extensively, with an HA/β-TCP ratio of 25/75, producing typical lobulated, zig-zag track-like resorption lacunae. On pure β-TCP, which had the highest solubility in acid, osteoclasts formed smaller discontinuous island-like lacunae. The resorption pattern may have been modified by the large number of calcium ions released into the acidic microenvironment at the osteoclast-ceramic interface. No resorption lacunae were found on the other specimens. The extent of osteoclastic resorption of calcium phosphate ceramics might, to a certain degree, be proportional to solubility, although this was not the case when solubility was very high. It would appear that ceramic solubility influences osteoclast resorption activity.