Researchers from University of Saskatchewan, University of Southern Denmark discover tissue regrowth in trabecular bone, which makes up 20% of skeleton.
Our bodies completely overhaul our bones every seven to 10 years, breaking down old or damaged bone tissue, and replacing it with new bone. Experts have long thought there were four processes through which bones regenerate.
Now researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) have discovered a fifth way that tissue rebuilds in specific parts of some of our bones. What they found, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at USask, deepens our understanding of bone health and could lead to new bone-strengthening treatments for osteoporosis.
Trabecular bone, also known as spongy or cancellous bone, is the porous, honeycomb-like tissue found at the ends of long bones (like the thigh bone) and in the center of flat and irregular bones (like vertebrae of the spine). It makes up roughly 20% of the adult skeleton and is vital for absorbing shock and supporting joints. It had long been assumed the holes or canals in trabecular bone visible on biopsies was evidence of bone loss caused by chronic kidney disease or disorders related to parathyroid hormone, which controls calcium levels in our blood.
Read more on the CLS website
Image: Micro-CT image of human bone sample