This is an application to study spectroscopically the mineral coating of composite prosthetic implants. The hypothesis is that the nature of the bone-implant interface is determined by the nature of the implant surface whether or not the interface is occupied by mineralized or non-mineralized tissue. The hypothesis will be tested using animal experiments. The primary tool for surface characterization is Raman spectroscopy; spectral resolution will be enhanced by 2nd derivative computations. This study will provide basic information about the interface between bone and various calcium mineral coatings. The gained knowledge should be very useful for designing optimized mineral coatings for implants.
