title: An X-ray diffraction investigation of age-related changes in the crystal structure of bone apatite.
abstract: Evidence relating to the existence of crystalline bone mineral in vivo is considered, and bone apatite crystal structure investigated using an x-ray powder diffraction technique. Specimens of femoral compacta excised post-mortem from male and female subjects ranging from 3 1/2 years to 87 years of age have been studied. Values of the ratio c/a of bone apatite crystal cell axes for females are significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than for males. Moreover, significant change of c/a with age is observed for males (p = 0.0005) but not for females (p = 0.30). Differences in c/a are interpreted as indicating substitution of constituent ions in the bone apatite crystals.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006882:Hydroxyapatites; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D006882:Hydroxyapatites