The Mineral Content of Normal Human Bone1

Abstract

Evidence has been forthcoming from animal experimentation that the skeleton may gain or lose electrolytes under conditions of abnormal electrolyte metabolism (1). A complete evaluation of the significance of these findings in man depends upon knowledge of the composition of normal human bone. However, information regarding human bone is sparse. In 1894, Gabriel, in a very detailed study of animal bone, included two representative samples from an unstated number of specimens of humerus of man (2). Klement, in 1936, also conducted a comprehensive investigation of mineral content, but his material was limited to three samples of skull, and two each of pelvis and femur (3). In recent years, further reports of human bone composition have appeared (4-12). However, these latter observations have not been wholly satisfactory, in that the number of samples analyzed were few and the determinations were limited to two or three minerals. Furthermore, a majority of the subjects in these reports from whom bone specimens were obtained either died with disease, or specific statements concerning the condition of the subjects prior to death were not given. The largest study currently reported is that given in abstract form by Pellegrino and Farber (13). These workers analyzed tibial bone of 15 normal subjects for Ca, P, Na and K.The present study is concerned with the composition of bone obtained at autopsy from 16 normal adults who died suddenly. A comparative analysis of skull, rib and ilium, for water, calcium, phosphorus, carbonate, nitrogen, chloride, potassium and sodium is given.

Metabolic Effects of Human Growth Hormone and of Estrogens in Boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

“…These calculations showed (Table III) that the major effect of 'The equations for these calculations are (11,12): Aprotoplasm (g) = 27 AN. Abone (g) = 11.5 (APP-0.068 AN).…”

Synthesis and Optimization of the Production of Millimeter‐Sized Hydroxyapatite Single Crystals by Cl−–OH− Ion Exchange

“…Considering SXRD, XRD, FTIR analyses, and chloride content measurements, the best samples (those that showed a degree of conversion above 85% and up to 96%, while maintaining the surface roughness and the single crystal structure) were selected for mechanical characterization (Table ). Table also shows the chloride content of the selected samples relative to the measured Cl − content of stoichiometric ClAp …”

“…Table I also shows the chloride content of the selected samples relative to the measured Cl − content of stoichiometric ClAp. 43 The results of the mechanical characterization are summarized in Table I, including the values of nanoindentation hardness (H) and elastic nanoindentation modulus (E s ). Figure 8 (a) shows typical load-displacement curves obtained in the nanoindentation tests to measure the elastic nanoindentation modulus and nanoindentation hardness.…”

Tissue reactions to implanted vitreous carbon and high purity sintered alumina

“…Of the various contaminants present in vitreous carbon (Table I), calcium, sodium and magnesium are present in normal human bone (Duckworth & Hill, 1953;Agna, Knowles & Alverson, 1958), and as their levels within the implants were low they were excluded from the search. Strontium is not thought to be toxic to humans in its nonradioactive form (Hamilton & Hardy, 1974a), whilst iron is a normal constituent of the marrow.…”

“…Whilst titanium has been shown to be well tolerated by the tissues (Laing et al, 1967), this metal has been found in surprisingly high concentrations around some failed titanium implants (Meachim & Williams, 1973), and a search for it was therefore also made to see if a similar pattern could be observed. Of the various contaminants present in high purity alumina (Table 2), calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and potassium have all been found in normal human bone (Duckworth & Hill, 1953;Agna et al, 1958), and were therefore also excluded, as was iron. Lithium is known to have some toxic effects (Goodman & Gilman, 1975), However, its secondary radiation is beyond the range of the microprobe used; therefore a search was made for silica, chromium, and manganese which Laing et al (1967) showed to be irritant to the tissues, together with titanium, on similar grounds to those mentioned above.…”