Turnover of 65Zn and 82Sr in growing rats. A comparative investigation.

Analysis of bone retention data using 2- or 3-compartment models gives nearly equal relative accretion rates for zinc and calcium (85Sr) in endochondral bone and calcifying cartilage. The rate for zinc in cortical bone is 70% of that for calcium. As the existence in cortical bone of large, slowly exchanging compartments limitating accretion is consistent with the data, the relative accretion rate for zinc may more closely reflect the relative accretion rate of cortical bone.