We report on the development and characterization of a new composite material consisting of amorphous carbonated apatite, Ca(5)(PO(4), CO(3))(3)(OH), and microstructured poly(hydroxyacetic acid), polyglycolide (PGA). This material is able to keep the pH of a surrounding solution within the physiological range (7.2-7.6). This was achieved by chemical fine-tuning of the counterplay between the acidic degradation of the polyester and the basic dissolution of calcium phosphate. Microporous samples with pore sizes of