Rietveld refinement on X-ray diffraction patterns of bioapatite in human fetal bones

Bioapatite, the main constituent of mineralized tissue in mammalian bones, is a calcium-phosphate-based mineral that is similar in structure and composition to hydroxyapatite. In this work, the crystallographic structure of bioapatite in human fetuses was investigated by synchrotron radiation x-ray diffraction (XRD) and microdiffraction (mu-XRD) techniques. Rietveld refinement analyses of XRD and mu-XRD data allow for quantitative probing of the structural modifications of bioapatite as functions of the mineralization process and gestational age.