Analysis of bone composition at the microscopic level.

Abstract

A study of the composition of bone tissue at the level of microscopic structures, previously limited to the Haversian systems, has been extended to interstitial periosteal lamellar bone and to the “Mittellinien”. Phosphorus, calcium, total nitrogen, mucopolysaccharides (as hexosamines) and collagen (as hydroxyproline) were determined in these materials on both weight and volume basis. Calcium was also been determined in osteones at the initial and final stage of calcification. In spite of virtually identical Ca/P ratios, interstitial periosteal lamellar bone and Mittellinien differ in their organic composition. Interstitial bone has a higher total nitrogen content (both absolute and relative to phosphorus) as well as higher hydroxyproline and non-collagenous nitrogen than the Mittellinien. A compilation of data on the composition of osteoid tissue, osteones at different degrees of calcification and the above structures, shows how variable is the composition of bone tissue even from one microscopic structure to the one adjacent. Tentative indications of a general rule governing the process of calcification were obtained from the analytical data; namely that wherever calcification is taking place rapidly, non-collagenous proteins (possibly proteoglycans) are present.