Bone remodeling

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Bone remodeling is a life long process where old bone is removed from the skeleton (a sub-process called bone resorption) and new bone is added (a sub-process called bone formation). These processes also control the reshaping or replacement of bone during growth and following injuries. Remodeling responds to functional demands and muscle attachments. As a result bone is added where needed and removed where it is not required.

In the first year of life, almost 100% of the skeleton is replaced. In adults, remodeling proceeds at about 10% per year.^[1]

An imbalance in the regulation of bone remodeling's two sub-processes, bone resorption and bone formation, results in many metabolic bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. ^[2]

[edit] References

1. ^ Wheeless Textbook: http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/bone_remodeling
2. ^ Online Medical Dictionary: http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?bone+remodeling