Ceramic Tricalcium Phosphate As a Bone-Graft Substitute for Benign Bone Tumors

Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) is a biocompatible ceramic bone graft substitute manufactured by DePuy. Since April 1984, over 80 cases have been entered into an FDA-approved clinical study, in which tricalcium phosphate was used as a bone graft material for fractures, nonunions, miscellaneous bone defects, and tumors. This report details early results of its use in 20 benign bone tumors treated at the University Hospital of Arkansas and the J.L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas. The TCP used was a porous granular (18 patients) or block (two patients) polycrystalline ceramic formed by sintering beta TCP at 2000°C. The particle size varies from 0.4 to 2 mm and has a porosity of 250–400 μm.