Development of nanosized silver-substituted apatite for biomedical applications: A review

An effective approach to reduce the risk of infection is to create antibacterial properties in the implant. Substitution of silver into nanosized hydroxyapatite (nAgHA) is employed to create antibacterial properties. Silver ions were either incorporated during the co-precipitation process (AgHA-CP) or underwent ion-exchange with calcium ions in the apatite (AgHA-IE). However, antibacterial action of AgHA-CP and AgHA-IE were different. In view of this, the present review provides an overview of the physicochemical properties of bulk nAgHA and AgHA nanocoatings. Furthermore, to enhance the biological response of nAgHA, the addition of silicon is necessary to promote the properties of bone differentiation.115