The Age Relationship of Fluoride Profiles in Trabecular Bone and Endosteal Cortical and Periosteal Cortical Human Bone

Abstract

Bones and teeth provide a continuous record of past exposure. They are also a potential reservoir of fluoride. For example, local release of fluoride from the skeletal tissue may increase fluoride concentrations in the immediately adjacent soft tissues. This study compares the fluoride distributions in trabecular (cancellous) bone in relation to periosteal cortical and endosteal cortical bone in human ribs obtained from 40 subjects (male: 26, female: 14) aged 21 to 76 years old. The fluoride concentrations in specimens were determined from abraded samples with a fluoride electrode. Fluoride concentrations were high at the surface and low at the middle of trabecular bone. Fluoride concentrations in periosteal cortical and endosteal cortical bone started to increase at the age of 40-50 in males and 50-60 in females. However the fluoride concentrations in trabecular bone stayed at a low level, but increased after the age of 70 in both male and female subjects. Fluoride profiles in trabecular bone surfaces were similar to those of endosteal cortical bone. It was concluded that fluoride concentrations in trabecular bone, as well as in periosteal cortical and endosteal cortical bone, were affected by conditions of modelling and remodelling.