Carbonate apatite (CO 3 Ap), an inorganic component of human bone, has been clinically applied as an artificial bone substitute. In this study, the effects of the CO 3 content in CO 3 Ap on the replacement by new bone were studied by fabricating CO 3 Ap granules containing 0.9-8.3 wt% of CO 3 . The dissolution rate of CO 3 Ap in a weak acidic solution, mimicking the Howship's lacunae, was rapid for the CO 3 Ap granules containing a larger amount of CO 3 . Histological analyses demonstrated the rapid resorption in CO 3 Ap and replacement by natural bone tissue when the CO 3 content was increased. Therefore, the CO 3 content in CO 3 Ap is a key factor that influences the replacement of the bone tissue. K E Y W O R D S carbonate apatite, carbonate content, osteoclastic resorption, resorbability 1 | INTRODUCTION Carbonate apatite [CO 3 Ap: Ca 10-a (PO 4 ) 6-b (CO 3 ) c ] is replaced by new bone, unlike hydroxyapatite [HAp: Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ], which is