Bone induction by different calcium phosphate biomaterials has been reported previously. With regard to (1) whether the induced bone would disappear with time due to the absence of mechanical stresses and (2) whether this heterotopically formed bone would give rise to uncontrolled growth, a long-time investigation of porous hydroxyapatite ceramic (HA), porous biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic (TCP/HA, BCP), porous alpha-tricalcium phosphate ceramic (alpha-TCP) and porous beta-tricalcium phosphate ceramic (beta-TCP) was performed in dorsal muscles of dog, for 2.5 years. Histological observation, backscattered scanning electron microscopy observation and histomorphometric analysis were made on thin un-decalcified sections of retrieved samples. Normal compact bone with bone marrow was found in all HA implants (n = 4) and in all BCP implants (n = 4), 48 +/- 4% pore area was filled with bone in HA implants and 41 +/- 2% in BCP implants. Bone-like tissue, which was a mineralised bone matrix with osteocytes but lacked osteoblasts and bone marrow, was found in all beta-TCP implants (n = 4) and in one of the four alpha-TCP implants. Both normal bone and bone-like tissues were confined inside the pores of the implants. The results show that calcium phosphate ceramics are osteoinductive in muscles of dogs. Although the quality and quantity varied among different ceramics, the induced bone in both HA and BCP ceramics did neither disappear nor grow uncontrollably during the period as long as 2.5 years.