title: Isolation of calcium-phosphate crystals of bone by non-aqueous methods at low temperature.
abstract: We have developed low temperature nonaqueous solution methods as well as low power plasma ashing for the degradation of the organic matrix of bone power which have permitted us to obtain bone crystals essentially free of organic matrix constituents without any significant change in their composition, overall structure, or internal short-range order. We have also been able to disperse the crystals, which has made it possible to examine the isolated crystals by X-ray diffraction and resolution-enhanced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and isolated single crystals by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction. TEM of isolated single crystals of fish, chicken, mouse and bovine bone have clearly demonstrated that the crystals are very thin plates. No rod or needle-like crystals were observed in any of the bone samples in the four species studied including the earliest crystals deposited. Although there were variations in the size distribution of the crystals in the different species studied, in general the average crystal dimensions were very similar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Glimcher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003460:Crystallization; D005399:Fishes; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D002130:Calcium Phosphates; C485828:alpha-tricalcium phosphate; C485830:tetracalcium phosphate; C485838:calcium phosphate, monobasic, anhydrous; C020243:calcium phosphate; C485829:calcium phosphate, dibasic, anhydrous