Abstract
Summary
In calvaria and long bones of the rat the concentration of citrate changed in a pattern characteristic for the bone site during active growth; it remained relatively constant after growth was essentially complete (epiphyses 60 days, calvaria 75 days, diaphyses 90-113 days). In metaphyses (the growing zone of long bones) there was still reduced activity after this time since growth in long bone continues even in old rats. This procedure may be useful in determining maturity in other bone areas where rate of growth is difficult to assess by other methods, and in selection of the proper age and bone site for evaluation of the effects of various treatments. Differences in the citrate response to vitamin D and in the deposition of fluoride at various bone sites in growing rats could be correlated with the age at which growth in a given site was complete. Fluoride deposition also appears to be related to deposition of calcium in the site during fluoride ingestion. Most of the differences in distribution of skeletal fluoride can be explained on this basis. Fluoride acts much as the radioactive tracers and it may be that fluoride deposition could be used to measure calcium accretion during the bone remodelling process.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.