Zn and Cu content in human cancellous bone.

Duplicate cancellous bone samples from the iliac crest were obtained from autopsies of 88 persons with a normal mineral status and 50 having osteoporotic change due to chronic immobilizing diseases. The following parameters were determined: the minimal density with gamma-ray attenuation, the compressive strength with a strain transducer, the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Li, Pb, Sr and Zn with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and the concentration of F with an ion-selective electrode. The data were analyzed with linear multiple regression analysis. Altogether 34.8 per cent of the Zn concentration was accounted for in all the variables. The selected variables, after the nonsignificant and those with very low explanatory power were removed, explained 38.3 per cent. The two most important variables were the F concentration (16.1 per cent) and Cu concentration (13.7 per cent). The third variable was Mn concentration (8.5 per cent). All variables explained 41.7 per cent of the Cu concentration and five selected variables 40.7 per cent, respectively. The concentration of Zn explained itself as much (20.1 per cent) as four other variables (Ca 7.7 pe cent, Mn 5.9 per cent, Sr 3.9 per cent and Co 3.2 per cent) together. Age and sex did not significantly affect the concentration of Zn and Cu. No remarkable difference was found between the bone samples representing a normal mineral status and osteoporosis.