Macrophages in Degradation of Tricalcium Phosphate Ceramics Artifical Bone:A in Vitro Study Zheng Qixin; Du Jingyuan; Xia Zhidao( Assoc. Prof.,Xehe Hospital of Tongji Medical University,Wuhan 430022,China.)When the isolated mice macrophages mixed with powder of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) ceramics were cultured,the both ca.p concentration in cultured fluid was higher than that of powder of TCP ceramics alone (P<0. 01 ) on the 7th day, The observation of inversive phase contrast microscope and SEM showed that macrophages wrapped TCP particles with small processes , then phasgocytized them into cytoplasm,and in the meanwhile,some processes of the macrophages covered the surfaces of both large particles and dense particle lumps. These results demonstrated that macrophages could take part in degradation of TCP ceramics by phagocytosis and extracellulcar resorption.: tricalcium phosphate ; ceramics ; macrophage ; degradation