Assessing <i>In Vitro</i> Degradation of β-Tricalcium Phosphate Ceramics via Micro-Computed Tomography

Abstract

This paper describes the use of micro-computed tomography for determining in vitro degradation of calcium-phosphate ceramic materials. Samples were immersed in a simulated body fluid and scanned at the initial and final timepoints. Analysis indicates degradation of material density as well as changes in mineral content and mineral density. Findings are confirmed with known methods of materials characterization (SEM, mass analysis, and Archimedes’s density calculations), indicating changes in surface morphology, mass, and pore volume.