MEASUREMENT OF HUMAN BONE FORMATION BY MEANS OF TETRACYCLINE LABELLING

Abstract

Chalkley's method combined with fluorescence microscopy was used to measure the amount of bone formed in a known time in a known amount of bone in 57 patients in whom the frontier line of bone formation was labelled by the administration of tetracycline. Calculated mean values for the years required to form an amount of new bone equal to the original amount are 2.2 years for a 5-year age group, 28.4 years for a 26-year age group, 37 years for a 47.8-year age group, and 37.6 years for a 67.4-year age group.These values are termed the formation times.