Effect of ultraviolet light on the dielectric behavior of bone at microwave frequencies.

The dielectric constant of bone and its two components (collagen and apatite) were determined at 9.2 GHz in a room temperature environment by the cavity perturbation technique. After samples were exposed to ultraviolet light, repeat measurements under identical conditions showed decreases in both the real and the imaginary parts of the dielectric constant in all cases. The present work describes the technique and a possible mechanism of ultraviolet interaction with bone.