THERMALLY STIMULATED CURRENT STUDY OF THE MOLECULAR-MOVEMENTS IN BONE

Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) has been used for investigating the interface and interphase in a natural composite, bone. Young adult ma le femoral diaphysis has been studied at different stages of demineral ization by EDTA. Analysis of the fine structure of complex TSC spectra has shown that in the early stages of demineralization, dielectric re laxations are due to the hydroxyl reorientations in the mineral apatit e structure. After a certain stage of demineralization, the mineral re sponse disappears and organic matrix mobility is observed. A dissociat ive buffer has been used to identify collagen relaxations. The contrib ution of the mineral-organic interface/interphase has been isolated.