Skip to main content
Log in

Bone water

  • Review
  • Published:
Calcified Tissue Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A short review is given of the water in bone. Various analyses of bone water content are discussed, and its possible location is considered in relation to the behaviour of water in isolated components of bone. Some of the difficulties encountered in examining such microscopic phenomena as water structure in a heterogeneous system such as bone are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Physico-chemical state of ions and water in living tissues and model systems. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 204 (1973)

  • Arnold, J.S., Tont, S.A.: Bone water studied by differential centrifugation. Calcif. Tiss. Res.1, 68–74 (1967)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, P.J., Weatherall, J.A.: Variation in the density of the femoral diaphysis with age. J. Bone Jt Surg.49-B, 781–788 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Belfort, G.: Structure of water in porous glass. Nature (Lond.)249, 593–594 (1974)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, J.C., Breuer, M.M.: The binding of aliphatic alcohols and water to hair keratin and bovine tendon collagen. J. Colloid Interface Sci.37 (4), 714–726 (1971)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berendsen, H.J.C.: Nuclear magnetic resonance study of collagen hydration. J. Chem. Phys.36, 3297–3305 (1962)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berendsen, H.J.C., Biological significance of water structure. Biology of the mouth, pp. 145–167 (1968)

  • Berendsen, H.J.C., Michgelsen, C.: Hydration structure of collagen and influence of salts. Fed. Proc.25, 998–1002 (1966)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blitz, R.M., Pellegrino, E.D.: The chemical anatomy of bone, I. A comparative study of bone composition in sixteen vertebrates. J. Bone Jt Surg.51-A, 456–466 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Campo, R.D., Tourtollette, C.D.: The composition of bovine cartilage and bone. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)141, 614–624 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlstrom, S., Glas, J.E., Angmar, B.: Studies on the ultrastructure of dental enamel. V The state of water in human enamel. J. Ultrastruct. Res.8, 24–29 (1963)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, G.E., McLaughlan, K.A.: The hydration structure of collagen. Proc. roy. Soc. B173, 223 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope, F.W.: Nuclear magnetic resonance evidence using D2O for structured water in muscle and brain. Biophys. J.9, 303 (1969)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dehl, R.E., Hoeve, C.A.: Broad line NMR study of H2O and D2O in collagen fibres. J. Chem. Phys.50, 3245 (1969)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dibdin, G.H.: The stability of water in human dental enamel studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Arch. oral. Biol.17, 433–437 (1972)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eastoe, J.E., Eastoe, B.: The organic constituents of mammalian compact bone. Biochem. J.57, 453 (1954)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, F.G., Lebow, M.: Regional differences in some of the physical properties of the human femur. J. appl. Physiol.3, 563–572 (1951)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frost, H.M.: In: The laws of bone structure. Springfield, Ill.: C.C. Thomas 1964

    Google Scholar 

  • Glimcher, M.J.: Molecular biology of mineralised tissues with particular reference to bone. Rev. Mod. Phys.31, 359 (1959)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong, J.K., Arnold, J.S., Cohn, S.H.: Composition of trabecular and cortical bone. Anal. Rec.149 (3), 325–332 (1964)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hori, T.: The supercooling and evaporation of thin water films. Teion KagakuA15, 33–42 (1956)

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E.P., Li, S.T.: The intermolecular space of reconstructed collagen fibrils. J. molec. Biol.73, 351–369 (1973a)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E.P., Li, S.T.: Structure and function of bone collagen fibrils. J. molec. Biol.80, 1–15 (1973b)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, L., Kanefield, D.G., Heiple, G.: Effect of disuse osteoporosis on bone composition: The fate of bone matrix. Calcif. Tiss. Res.2, 20–29 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuntz, I.D., Kauzman, W.: Hydration of proteins and polypeptides. Advanc. Protein Chem.28, 239–345 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ling, G.N.: The physical state of water in living cell and model systems. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.125, 401–417 (1965)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ling, G.N.: The physiocal state of water in biological systems. Food Technology22, 1254–1258 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, M.F., Casciani, F.S.: The nature of water in sound human enamel. A preliminary study. Arch. oral Biol.11, 565–571 (1966).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marino, A.A., Bachman, C.H., Becker, R.C.: Dielectric determination of sound water of bone. Phys. Med. Biol.12, 367–378 (1967).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McPherson, A., Juhasz, L.: In: Biomechanics and related bioengineering topics (R.M. Kenedi, ed.), pp. 181–186. New York: Pergamon 1964

    Google Scholar 

  • Meeman, H.E., Bunker, M.L., Meema, S.: Loss of compact bone due to menopause. Obstet. and Gynec.26, 333–343 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, K.H., Trias, A., Ray, R.D.: Bone density and composition. Age related and pathological changes in water and mineral content. J. Bone Jt Surg.48-A, 140–148 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuman, W.F., Neman, M.W.: In: The chemical dynamics of bone mineral. Chicago: Chicago University Press 1958

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuman, W.F., Toribara, T.Y., Mulryan, B.J.: The surface chemitry of bione. VII The hydration shell. J. Amer. Chem. Soc.75, 4239–4242 (1953)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Posner, A.S.: Crystal chemistry of bone mineral. Physiol. Rev.49 (4), 760–792 (1969).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robertes, N.K., Northey, A.L.: Proton mobility in glass pores of 15 μm diameter. Nature (Lond.) Physical Sci.237, 144 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, R.A. Crystal collagen water relationships in bone matrix. Clin Orphop.17, 69–76 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, R.A., Elliot, S.R.: The water content of bone. I. The mass of water in organic crystals, organic matrix and ‘CO2’ space components in a unit volume of dog bone. J. Bone Jt Surg.39-A (1), 167–188 (1957)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sedlin, E.D., Hirsch, C.: Factors affecting the determination of physical properties of femoral cortical bone. Acta orthop. scand.37, 29–58 (1966)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shereshefsky, J.L., Carter, C.P.: Liquid vapour equilibrium in microscopic capillaries. I. Aqueous systems. J. Amer. chem. Soc.72, 3682–3686 (1950).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soremark, R., Soremark, C., Martinthof, S., Myreberg, N.: Thermal expansion in dental tissues. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.204, 169–190 (1973)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swanson, F.A.V., Freeman, M.A.R.: Is bone hydraulically strengthened? Med. Biol. Engng.4, 433–438 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tait, M.J., Franks, F.: Water in biological systems. Nature (Lond.)230, 91–94 (1971)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wall, J.C.: PhD Thesis, University of London 1973

  • Woodard, H.G.: The composition of human cortical bone. Effect of age and of some abnormalities. Clin. Orthop.37, 187–193 (1964)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Timmins, P.A., Wall, J.C. Bone water. Calc. Tis Res. 23, 1–5 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02012759

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02012759

Key words

Navigation