Radiation-induced paramagnetic centers in research on bone physiopathology

It has been found that ionizing radiation induces stable paramagnetic centers in the crystalline lattice of bone hydroxyapatite (HA). These defects, which can be detected and measured by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry, can be treated as a new kind of biologic marker and used for the following: (1) evaluation of crystallinity of bone mineral, because the yield of these centers depends on the size of HA crystals; (2) quantification of the rebuilding process of radiation-sterilized bone grafts, because of the stability of the centers; and (3) estimation of the dose of ionizing radiation absorbed by living organisms, because of the linear relation between the dose of ionizing radiation and the yield of radiation-induced paramagnetic centers in bone mineral.