What is hydroxyapatite?
Hydroxyapatite is the major component, and an essential ingredient, of normal bone and teeth. It is hydroxyapatite that makes up bone mineral and the matrix of teeth. What are hydroxyapatite crystals? Hydroxyapatite molecules can group together (crystallize) to form microscopic clumps, called hydroxyapatite crystals. Tiny crystals of hydroxyapatite sometimes form in or around joints and can cause inflammation of joints and tissues around the joints, such as tendons and ligaments. They have been described particularly as a cause of rotator cuff inflammation of the shoulder. The inflammation caused by hydroxyapatite crystals has been referred to as hydroxyapatite crystal disease. Is hydroxyapatite crystal disease the same as gout or pseudogout? No. These conditions are similar in that they are all caused by the inflammation that results from…
