7. Conclusion

Nanocrystalline apatites are naturally present in certain biomineralizations (bone mineral, dentine...) and synthetic biomimetic analogues can be prepared by soft chemistry. These compounds, whether of natural or synthetic origin, differ in many respects (chemical composition, structure...) from stoichiometric hydroxyapatite. It is important to bear these features in mind, as they are directly linked to the high reactivity/bioactivity of nanocrystalline apatites, but also to their metastability. These compounds can be used for applications such as bone regeneration or nanomedicine, exploiting in particular their "intrinsic" biocompatibility. Far from being mere "laboratory curiosities", biomimetic apatites form the basis of various bioactive biomaterials in different forms (coatings, dense or porous matrices, injectable cements, (nano)particles...).

Although more...