Abstract: The present invention replaces the aluminum oxide in ALCAP ceramics with zinc oxide or zinc sulfate or mixtures thereof to provide a resorbable high strength ceramic. Specifically, a zinc bioceramic is provided comprising about 10 to 50 wt. % zinc oxide or zinc sulfate or mixtures thereof, about 30 to 40 wt. % calcium oxide and about 10 to 40 wt. % phosphorus pentoxide.The zinc based ceramics of the present invention can be used in many of the same applications as hydroxyapatites, tricalcium phosphates and ALCAP ceramics. When mixed with a setting agent, the zinc based ceramics of the present invention are useful as surgical cements or grouts. The zinc based ceramics are also useful as hard tissue substitutes in orthopedic, dental and maxillofacial surgeries and as drug delivery devices.

Abstract: Surgical bone repair cements useful in medical and/or dental applications comprising a bone substitute such as hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate or aluminocalcium oxide-phosphorous pentoxide ceramic and a polyfunctional carboxylic acid such as malic acid, .alpha.-ketoglutaric acid or citric acid as a setting agent.

Abstract: The product and process of making an in-vivo body implant pharmaceutical carrier of a resorbable ceramic crystalline structure of interconnecting pores capable of the critical controlled time release of pharmaceutical preparations such as proteins, polypeptides, hormones, and other small molecular weight active materials. The ceramic is comprised of aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), calcium oxide (CaO), and phosphorous pentoxide (P.sub.2 O.sub.5) in a controlled weight percent mixture. In the process of making, the mixture is calcined. The calcined mixture is again ground and sieved through screens of two different mesh sizes to obtain desired sizes and mixed with a binder. This mixture is compressed and sintered at a predetermined temperature. The particle sizes of the sieved calcined compound and the sintering temperatures are interrelated to provide a ceramic of a desired pore size for the controlled release of the pharmaceutical.