| Abstract Scope |
In the early 1960’s, there was a rudimentary understanding of skeletal physiology at the cellular and tissue levels. Basic processes that allow bone to adapt to altered mechanical environments were not well-known or controversial. Studies concentrated on the skeletal effects of hormones, calcium, vitamin D and nutrition with little recognition of the roles played by extracellular matrix, cell communication, crosstalk between different skeletal tissues, or genetics. Future challenges now include how the subcomponents of bone at the material level (collagen, the collagen-mineral interface, non-collagenous proteins, water compartments) function and can be integrated into a holistic view of bone and its dynamic responses. Complex cellular signaling pathways, crosstalk between muscle and bone, and the role of neurotrophic factors will need definition. This will require new genetically modified animal models, new methods to study nanostructure, and better ways to deliver physiological mechanical loading. |