Small-angle x-ray scattering study of dispersed crystals from bone and tendon.

A small-angle x-ray scattering study of dispersed crystals from rat bone and mineralized turkey tendon shows that the particles in both preparations have the same scattering behavior. The data are very similar to those reported by Fratzl et al. for intact turkey tendon and are consistent with the crystals being plate shaped. These observations have important implications for understanding both the structure and mineralization processes of these tissues.