The stability of the bioactive surface is a major concern in the chemical and physical design of apatite ceramic coatings. In clinical studies, no sintered-hydroxyapatite bulk coating material was present in the surrounding bone tissue after loading periods up to 11 years. In in vitro studies, hydroxyapatite plasma-sprayed coatings dissolved considerably, possibly because of loss of crystallinity during the plasma-spraying procedure. A heat treatment at 600 degrees C reconstituted the crystallinity and promoted the transformation of alpha-tricalcium phosphate into the more stable beta-tricalcium phosphate. Fluorapatite coatings did not lose their crystallinity and had the added advantage of stability as a result of the fluoride ion.