| abstract |
A biomedical material for use as artificial bone and dental root is provided which takes the form of a sintered composite body comprising a crystalline calcium phosphate matrix and inorganic whiskers dispersed therein. The inorganic whiskers contain at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide and magnesium oxide. The matrix of tricalcium phosphate or apatite preferably has a grain size of 0.05 to 30 μm. The whiskers, typically anorthite and diopside whiskers occupy 0.5 to 95% by area of a cross section of the sintered body, and preferably have a length of 0.05 to 30 μm and an aspect ratio of from 1.2 to 100, with the ratio of matrix grain size to whisker length being 10/1 to 1/10. The material has physical toughness and stength and biomedical affinity. The material is prepared by mixing calcium phosphate and a whisker-forming material or whiskers and sintering the mixture at a temperature of 800° to 1600° C. |