Biological and medical significance of XXXX phosphates.

@entity66 @entity78 @entity170 @entity18461 @entity79 @entity1547 @entity460 @entity702 @entity731 @entity165
The inorganic part of hard tissues (bones and teeth) of mammals consists of @entity78 , mainly of apatitic structure. Similarly, most undesired calcifications (i.e. those appearing as a result of @entity66 ) of mammals also contain @entity78 . For example, @entity731 results in blood-vessel blockage caused by a solid composite of @entity165 with @entity78 . @entity1547 result in a replacement of less soluble and hard apatite by more soluble and softer @entity460 hydrogenphosphates. @entity170 is a @entity79 . Therefore, from a chemical point of view, processes of normal (bone and teeth formation and growth) and pathological ( @entity731 and dental calculus) calcifications are just an in vivo crystallization of @entity78 . Similarly, @entity1547 and @entity170 can be considered to be in vivo dissolution of @entity460 phosphates. On the other hand, because of the chemical similarity with biological calcified tissues, all @entity460 phosphates are remarkably biocompatible. This property is widely used in medicine for biomaterials that are either entirely made of or coated with @entity78 . For example, self-setting bone cements made of @entity460 phosphates are helpful in bone repair and @entity702 substitutes covered with a surface layer of @entity18461 are used for hip-joint endoprostheses and tooth substitutes, to facilitate the growth of bone and thereby raise the mechanical stability. @entity460 phosphates have a great biological and medical significance and in this review we give an overview of the current knowledge in this subject.
