The effects of modification of calcium hydroxyapatites (Hap; Ca-10(PO4)(6)(OH)(2)) by trivalent metal ions (Al(III), La(III), and Fe(III)) on protein adsorption behavior were examined using bovine serum albumin (BSA; isoelectric point (iep) = 4.7 and molecular mass (M-s) = 67 200 Da). The AI(III)-, La(III)-, and Fe(III)substituted Hap particles were prepared by the coprecipitation method with different atomic ratios, metal/(Ca + metal), abbreviated as X-metal. The particles precipitated at X-metal = 0 (original-Hap) were rod-like and 10 x 36 nm(2) in size. The short, rod-like original-Hap particles were elongated upon adding metal ions up to X-metal = 0.10, and the extent of the particle growth was in the order of La(III) < Al(III) << Fe(III). The crystallinity of the materials was slightly lowered by increasing X-metal for all systems. The adsorption isotherms of BSA onto the AI(111)-, La(IIL)-, and Fe(III)-substituted Hap particles showed the Langmuirian type. The saturated amounts of adsorbed BSA (n(s)(BSA)) values were strongly dependent on X-metal in each system. The n(s)(BSA) values for the Fe(III)-substituted Hap system were increased with an increase in X-Fe (X-metal value of Hap particles substituted with Fe(III)); the n(s)(BSA) value obtained at X-Fe = 0.10 was 2.7-fold more than that for the original-Hap particle, though those for the La(III) system were decreased to ca. 1/5. On the other hand, the n(s)(BSA) values for the AI(III) system were decreased with substitution of small amounts of AI(III), showing a minimum point at X-Al = 0.01, but they were increased again at X-Al over 0.03. Since the concentrations of hetero metal ions dissolved from the particles exhibited extremely low values, the possibility of binder effects of trivalent cations dissolved froth the particle surface for adsorbing BSA to trivalent-ion-substituted Hap particles was excluded. The increase of n(s)(BSA) by an increase in X-Fe was explained by elongation of mean particle length along with the production of surface hydroxo ions, such as Fe(OH)(2+) or Fe(OH)(2)(+)(,) to induce the hydrogen bond between the Fe(III)-substituted Hap surface and BSA molecules, though the number of original C sites established by Ca(II) atoms was reduced. In the case of La(III)-substituted Hap particles, the number of original C sites established by Ca(II) atoms was reduced by La(III) substitution but the mean particle length remained almost constant. Furthermore, surface hydroxo La(III) groups were absent. Therefore, the reduction of n(s)(BSA) was explained by both the unaltered mean particle length and their low surface hydrophilicity. The change of n(s)(BSA) values by X-Al resembled that of the mean particle length. These results implied that both the mean particle length and surface hydrophilicity of AI(Ill)-, La(III)-, and Fe(I:II)-substituted Hap particles are determining factors of the adsorption amounts of BSA.