In the literature octocalcium phosphate as well as brushite have been proposed as the precursor phase for bone mineral in the higher vertebrates. In this study it is shown that the situation is more complex. A sodium and carbonate containing apatite (NCCA) and a magnesium whitlockite (MWH) are present from the beginning of mineralization together with octocalcium phosphate. Upon further bone de...

OBJECTIVE Osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot is a major risk factor for amputation, but there is a limited understanding of early-stage infection, impeding limb-preserving diagnoses. We hypothesized that bone composition measurements provide insight into the early pathophysiology of diabetic osteomyelitis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Compositional analysis by Raman spectroscopy was performed ...

Activation of serum C3 by monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals and other particles was determined by immunofixation following electrophoretic separation of C3 and its activation products. Densitometry allowed quantitation of results. MSU, hydroxyapatite, brushite, and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals split C3 under conditions which demonstrate activation via the alternative pathw...

Tiselius proposed simplified estimates of the ion-activity products of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and brushite as the AP(CaOx) index, the AP(CaP) index, and the AP(Bru) index, respectively, which allowed assessment of the urinary saturation levels of these lithogenic substances. A number of urinary variables (calcium, magnesium, oxalate, phosphate, citrate, urine volume, and pH) are ne...