Silicon substituted oxyapatite

1. A silicon substituted oxyapatite compound (Si—OAp), wherein said compound has the formula Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3-x (SiO 4 ) x O (1-x)/2 , where 0<x<1 .0 and wherein said compound is a synthetic bone biomaterial that is biocompatible in vivo.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein said compound is provided as a fine or coarse powder, pellets, paste, three-dimensional shaped pieces, macroporous and microporous structures, thin films and coatings.

3. The compound of claim 2 , wherein said compound is mixed with one or more calcium phosphate compounds selected from the group consisting of oxyapatite, silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, calcium hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, calcium oxide, alpha-tricalcium phosphate and beta-tricalcium phosphate.

4. The compound of claim 3 , wherein said compound is mixed with silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate.

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein said compound is further provided with an agent selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, calcitonin preparations, sex hormones, prostaglandin A1, bisphosphonic acids, ipriflavones, fluorine compounds, vitamin K, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1, 2), endothelin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), epidermal growth factor (EGF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIP), osteogenin, BCSP, bone resorption repressors and mixtures thereof.

6. The compound of claims 1 , wherein said compound additionally comprises a bioresorbable polymer.

7. The compound of claim 6 , wherein said bioresorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of collagen, poly-lactic acid, poly-glycolic acid, copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, chitosan, chitin, gelatin and mixtures thereof.

8. The compound of claim 7 , wherein said bioresorbable polymer material is reinforced with a particulate form of the Si—OAp compound or a silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate compound.

9. A composition to promote bone repair and bone growth, said composition comprising a silicon substituted oxyapatite compound (Si—OAp), wherein said compound has the formula Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3-x (SiO 4 ) x O (1-x)/2 , where 0<x<1 .0 and wherein said compound is a synthetic bone biomaterial.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said compound is provided as a fine or coarse powder, pellets, paste, three-dimensional shaped pieces, macroporous and microporous structures, or thin films and coatings.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said compound is mixed with one or more calcium compounds selected from the group consisting of silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate, oxyapatite, hydroxyapatite, calcium hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, calcium oxide, alpha-tricalcium phosphate and beta-tricalcium phosphate.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein said compound is mixed with silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate.

13. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said composition further comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, calcitonin preparations, sex hormones, prostaglandin A1, bisphosphonic acids, ipriflavones, fluorine compounds, vitamin K, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1, 2), endothelin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), epidermal growth factor (EGF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIP), osteogenin, BCSP, bone resorption repressors and mixtures thereof.

14. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said composition additionally comprises a bioresorbable polymer.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein said bioresorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of collagen, poly-lactic acid, poly-glycolic acid, copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, chitosan, chitin, gelatin and mixtures thereof.

16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein said bioresorbable polymer material additionally comprises a particulate form of the Si—OAp compound or a silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate compound.

17. A method for making a silicon substituted oxyapatite of the formula Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3-x (SiO 4 ) x O (1-x/2 , where 0<x<1.0, said method comprising: mixing a calcium phosphate colloidal suspension with a finely dispersed, fumed silica; while maintaining a ratio of Ca/(P+Si) at about 1.67 in said mixture; and sintering for about 1 hour at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 1200° C. under vacuum.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said temperature is about 1000° C. to about 1200° C.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said temperature is about 1175° C.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein said vacuum is about 5×l0 −4 torr to about 1×10 −5 torr.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein said silicon is provided at a concentration of between about 0.5 mol SiO 2 : mol HA to about 1.5 mol SiO 2 : mol HA.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein said silicon is provided at a concentration of about 2.6 to 7.1 wt % silicon.

23. A method for the treatment of bone-related clinical conditions selected from the group consisting of an orthopedic, maxillo-facial and dental defect, the method comprising providing a silicon substituted oxyapatite compound (Si—OAp) of claim 1 wherein the compound is provided to said defect as a fine or coarse powder, pellets, three-dimensional shaped pieces, macroporous structures, thin films and coatings.

24. A method for substituting natural bone at sites of skeletal surgery in human and animal hosts with a silicon substituted oxyapatite compound (Si—OAp), wherein said compound has the formula Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3-x (SiO 4 ) x O (1-x)/2 , where 0<x<1.0, the method comprising the steps of: implanting said Si—OAp compound at the site of skeletal surgery wherein such implantation promotes the formation of new bone tissue at the interfaces between the compound and said host.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein said compound is provided as a fine or coarse powder, pellets, paste, three-dimensional shaped pieces, macroporous and microporous structures, thin films and coatings.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein said compound is mixed with one or more calcium compounds selected from the group consisting of oxyapatite, a silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, calcium hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, calcium oxide, alpha-tricalcium phosphate and beta-tricalcium phosphate.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein said compound is further provided with an agent selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, calcitonin preparations, sex hormones, prostaglandin A1, bisphosphonic acids, ipriflavones, fluorine compounds, vitamin K, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1, 2), endothelin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), epidermal growth factor (EGF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIP), osteogenin, BCSP, bone resorption repressors and mixtures thereof.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein said compound additionally comprises a bioresorbable polymer.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein said bioresorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of collagen, poly-lactic acid, poly-glycolic acid, copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, chitosan, chitin, gelatin and mixtures thereof.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein said bioresorbable polymer material is reinforced with a particulate form of the Si—OAp compound, a and/or a silicon substituted α-tricalcium phosphate compound compound.