Porous hydroxyapatite ocular implant was fabricated by a novel and simple method using hydroxyapatite powder synthesized in the laboratory. The porosity and pore size of the implant were controlled to make it light in weight as well as suitable for rapid vascularization after implantation. The implant was characterized by X-ray diffraction studies, infrared spectra and chemical analysis for phase purity and chemical composition. The pore morphology and pore size distribution of the samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thereafter, efficacy of the implant was examined by in vivo study in dogs. Clinical, haematological and radiological studies indicated the suitability of the implant for replacement of the lost eye of human patients.

This article reports a biomimetic approach for coating hydroxyapatite on titanium alloy at ambient temperature. In the present study, coating was obtained by soaking the substrate in a 5 times concentrated simulated body fluid (5XSBF) solution for different periods of time with and without the use of CaO–SiO₂ based glass as a possible source of nucleating agent of apatite formation. Optical microscopic and SEM observations revealed the deposition of Ca–P layer on the titanium alloy by both the methods. Thickness of coating was found to increase with the increase in immersion time. The use of glass did not help the formation of apatite nuclei on the substrate and the coating obtained by this method was also not uniform. EDX analysis indicated that the coating consisted of Ca–P based apatite globules, mostly in agglomerated form, and its crystallinity was poor as revealed by XRD.