Crystallographic lattice refinement of human bone.

X-ray diffraction studies on bone microsamples (human iliac crest of 87 individuals aged 0-90 years) reveal that certain crystallographic parameters such as unit cell volume of bone apatite, and half-width of (002)-reflection are well correlated with age and with type of tissue (corticalis and spongiosa). Similar to inorganic apatite, the lattice parameters of bone apatite are intensely affected by ionic substitutions and vary mainly due to exchange of hydroxyl- and carbonate-apatite and, to a minor extent, of fluor- and chlorapatite.