© 1990 British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery 0301-62OX/90/2049 $2.00 J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 1990; 72-B: 298-302. Fig. 1 298 THE JOURNAL OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY THE USE OF CALCIUM HYDROXYAPATITE CERAMIC

We report 60 benign bone tumours treated by resection and curettage followed by the implantation of calcium hydroxyapatite ceramic (CHA). After follow-up of six to 60 months (average 36), no patient had local recurrence of the tumour or any adverse effects from the implants. In almost all cases radiography showed that the CHA was well-incorporated into the host bone, with new bone formation in and around the CHA. Corrective remodelling of deformed bone and normal fracture healing suggested that there was normal bone turnover in the presence of the CHA. Histology of biopsies from seven patients showed bone ingrowth into the pore structure of CHA in the central zone of some defects by one year after implantation. CHA appears to be a useful substitute for bone graft in the treatment of some benign tumours. Human bone replacement has exercised the minds and technical skills ofsurgeons for hundreds ofyears. Despite the use of many other materials, the most commonly used graft is bone from the patient’s own ilium. However, it may be difficult to obtain the amount required, particu-larly in treating large tumours or in children. Th