X-ray diffraction radial distribution function studies on bone mineral and synthetic calcium phosphates

An investigation of the molecular structure of bone mineral and synthetic calcium phosphates was carried out using radial distribution function (RDF) techniques. The X-ray data were collected using CuK and MoK radiation to insure the validity of the RDFs. Synthetic preparations of hydroxyapatite (HA) varying in their crystal size and crystallinity, and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), were studied, as well as bone samples from a 1-year-old chicken and 16-day embryonic chicks. Mixtures of embryonic bone and synthetic ACP were also investigated. The RDFs of bone and crystalline HA samples are similar in peak position, and show evidence of an atomic order extending to 2.5 nm and beyond. The RDF of ACP differs from that of HA, showing only short range order up to 0.9 nm, as well as small differences in peak shape. The decrease in intensity of the RDF function with increasing distance (r), observed with both HA and bone samples can be related to a decrease in crystallinity and crystal size. The RDF data indicate there is no significant amount of ACP in either very young or mature bone. The RDFs of the embryonic bone + synthetic ACP mixtures showed that a small amount of ACP can be readily detected in a sample of bone with a poorly crystalline mineral phase; from this we estimate the threshold for detection of ACP in bone to be 12% or less.