Susceptibility of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite-collagen composite to irradiation.

The ESR spectrum of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (DAp) has the peaks assigned to the hyperfine structure of dangling H+ (hyperfine coupling constant = 50.8 mT, I = 1/2) due to the HPO(4)2- ion which captured the hole released by X ray irradiation. This ESR peak intensity in DAp with collagen (c-DAp) decreased in an increase in the amount of collagen added into Ca(H2PO4)2H2O (MCP) electrolytic solution, because dangling H+ of HPO(4)2- binds to the carboxyl group of collagen due to the hydrogen bond. The ESR signal intensities at near g = 2 in DAp, c-DAp, and stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (HAp) after X ray irradiation, were proportional to the absorbed dose in the range from 6 to 380 Gy. These ESR signal intensities decreased when the X ray-irradiated DAp, c-DAp, and HAp was suspended in the simulated body fluid. This fact suggests that the surface layer contained high density of ESR active species in DAp, c-DAp, and HAp dissolved in the simulated body fluid. Therefore, with the dosemeter utilising such biomaterials as tooth and bone, sufficient care must be paid to the effect of body fluid.