Hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) are useful for grafting and augmentation of bone tissue. In this study, conventional and histochemical transmission electron microscopy were used to study osteogenic events at the interface between the implanted materials and adjacent tissue from 1 to 4 weeks postoperatively. The microscopic results indicated that TCP was resorbed more rapidly than HA after implantation, with a notable breakdown of material and replacement by mesenchymal cells with ultrastructural features resembling osteoprogenitor cells and collagen up to 4 weeks postoperatively. Alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase reactivity in the tissues helped to identify and differentiate the histologic differences observed between HA and TCP.

Keywords: bone substitute, hydroxyapatite, osteogenesis, transmission electron microscopy, tricalcium phosphate