A Novel Unidirectional Porous β-tricalcium Phosphate Bone Substitute in Orthopedic Surgery: A Technical Note and Case Illustrations

Bone grafting is frequently performed in orthopedic surgeries. Artificial bone is a common grafting material. We have developed an absorbable material for bone regeneration with a unique structure: unidirectional porous β-tricalcium phosphate (Affinos(Ⓡ);( )Kuraray Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The most distinctive feature of this material is the ease with which blood can rapidly reach its depths by capillary action due to the unidirectional porous structure. It is also characterized by the presence of micropores, which are known to be beneficial for osteoconductivity both on the surface and inside the material. Favorable artificial bone absorption and regeneration with natural bone were observed in cases of clinical bone graft applications in the spine, extremities, benign bone tumor, trauma, and donor sites. Affinos is useful as a novel absorbable material for bone regeneration in various orthopedic surgeries.