General Outlines of a Clinical Approach to Bone Tissue Metabolism

Abstract

The content of mineral relative to organic matrix in bone is remarkably constant under physiological and most pathological conditions, since bone tissue is being formed and resorbed in toto (Bauer et al., 1961). Theoretically, there should be no difference in quantifying the bone tissue metabolism, irrespective of whether the bone mineral or the organic matrix is studied. In practice, at least in man, only the bone calcium metabolism is readily available for quantitative measurements, owing to the lack of any significant calcium stores besides the skeleton that could influence the overall metabolism of this element (Heaney, 1964). On the other hand, it is practically impossible to measure the bone metabolism of inorganic phosphate, the counter ion of calcium, since the large amounts of organic tissue phosphates strongly interfere (Bauer et al., 1961).