Table 2.
Selection of some trace elements having an effect on bone as such or in calcium phosphate biomaterials
| Trace element | Mechanism of action | Evidences in combination with calcium phosphates bioceramics |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | Cross-linking of collagen and elastin; Increasing bone strength (Hunt 1998; Lowe et al 2002) | No |
| Zinc | Stimulating osteoblastic activity in vitro; Inhibiting bone resorption in vivo (Lowe et al 2002) | Reducing bone loss at the zinc-containing biomaterial (Kawamura et al 2003) |
| Manganese | Stimulating alkaline phosphatase activity in vitro (Leone et al 1995), and in vivo (Pabbruwe et al 2004) | No |
| Fluoride | Stimulating alkaline phosphatase activity Increasing of bone mass (Modrowski et al 1992) | Stabilizing bone bonding Reducing biomaterial’s resorption (Dhert et al 1991, 1993) |
| Strontium | Increasing bone mass: stimulating bone formation and reducing bone resorption (Marie 2005) | No |
| Lithium | Stimulating human mesenchymal stem cells proliferation (de Boer et al 2004) | No |
| Borate | Possibly interacting with mineral and vitamin D metabolism (Hunt 1998) | No |
| Silicate | Stimulating extracellular matrix formation and mineralization (Carlisle 1988) | Stimulating bone remodeling (Porter et al 2004b) |