What Is Bone Resorption?

Bone resorption refers to the physiological behavior that gradually reduces the volume and density of bone tissue under lower stress levels. Bone resorption is an important function of bone reconstruction and reflects the adaptability of bone tissue to the mechanical environment. Abnormal bone reconstruction may lead to osteoporosis symptoms and thus become a cause of fracture [1].

Bone resorption refers to the physiological behavior that gradually reduces the volume and density of bone tissue under lower stress levels. Bone resorption is an important function of bone reconstruction and reflects the adaptability of bone tissue to the mechanical environment. Abnormal bone reconstruction may lead to osteoporosis symptoms and thus become a cause of fracture [1].

Chinese name

Bone resorption

Foreign name

resorption of bone

Process

Osteoclast

Category

biology

Regulation of bone resorption osteoclasts

The mechanical behavior of bone resorption is closely related to osteoclasts in bone cells. Osteoclasts are large, multi-nucleated cells with fewer osteoblasts. During the process of bone resorption, active osteoclasts will secrete acidic substances and enzymes, which will decompose and absorb the mineralized bone matrix, causing the bone mass in this area to decrease. Bone resorption and bone growth coexist, forming a dynamic balance. When the stress level is low, osteoclasts are more active than osteoblasts, which reduces the total amount of bone. The opposite is true when the stress level is high.

Discovery of bone resorption

The growth and absorption characteristics of bone tissue are closely related to mechanical factors, and the discovery of this phenomenon can be traced back to the mid-19th century. German anatomy Georg Hermann von Meyer and structural mechanics Carl Culmann discussed the distribution of trabecular structures in human bones. Meyer further pointed out in his book "The Architecture of Spongiosa" The trajectory of the main stress on the bone is related. However, scholars at this time did not point out that the mechanism of this phenomenon is related to the regulation of mechanical environment on the growth and absorption of trabeculae.

In 1870, the German surgeon Julius Wolff inherited and developed Meyer's research. He systematically proposed that a higher load would promote bone growth, and a lower load would promote bone resorption, the famous Wolff's law. The discovery of this phenomenon has made people gradually realize the complex coupling relationship between life activities and the mechanical environment, which has laid the foundation for the development of modern biomechanics and force biology [2].

Application of bone resorption

The law of bone resorption is common in daily life. For example, chronic lack of exercise or a moderate environment can cause bone density to decrease, leading to osteoporosis and increasing the risk of fractures. In the process of bone growth, old bones in the inner layer of the backbone are continuously absorbed, while new bones in the outer layer are constantly growing, thereby realizing the change in the density of the bone shape.

Bone Resorption References

1. 1. Frost, HM, A 2003 Update of Bone Physiology and Wolff's Law For Clinicians. The Angle Orthodontist, 2004. 74 (1): p. 3-15.

2. 2. Wolff, J., The Classic On the Inner Architecture of Bones and its Importance for Bone Growth (Reprinted from Virchows Arch Pathol Anat Physiol, vol 50, pg 389-450, 1870). Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2010. 468 (4): p. 1056-1065.