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Mechanisms of bone development and repair

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 21, pages 696–711 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Bone development occurs through a series of synchronous events that result in the formation of the body scaffold. The repair potential of bone and its surrounding microenvironment — including inflammatory, endothelial and Schwann cells — persists throughout adulthood, enabling restoration of tissue to its homeostatic functional state. The isolation of a single skeletal stem cell population through cell surface markers and the development of single-cell technologies are enabling precise elucidation of cellular activity and fate during bone repair by providing key insights into the mechanisms that maintain and regenerate bone during homeostasis and repair. Increased understanding of bone development, as well as normal and aberrant bone repair, has important therapeutic implications for the treatment of bone disease and ageing-related degeneration.

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Fig. 1: Bone homeostasis.
Fig. 2: Skeletal stem cell hierarchy.
Fig. 3: Long bone anatomy.
Fig. 4: Developmental signalling pathways regulating osteoblast differentiation.
Fig. 5: Continuum of bone disorders.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Ankit Salhotra, Harsh N. Shah.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Ankit Salhotra, Harsh N. Shah & Michael T. Longaker

  2. Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Ankit Salhotra, Harsh N. Shah & Michael T. Longaker

  3. Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Benjamin Levi

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Glossary

Osteon

A cylindrical structure consisting of a mineralized matrix and osteocytes that transports blood through connected canaliculi.

Long bone growth plate

An area of differentiating tissue located near the ends of long bones that enables physiological lengthening of the bones.

Axial skeleton

The portion of the skeleton consisting of the bones of the head and vertebrae.

Appendicular skeleton

The portion of the skeleton consisting of the bones of the appendages.

Cancellous bone

Mature adult bone consisting of spongy tissue meshwork typically found in the cores of vertebral bones and the ends of long bones.

Unicortical defect

A fracture involving only the outer and/or inner cortices on one side of the bone shaft.

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Salhotra, A., Shah, H.N., Levi, B. et al. Mechanisms of bone development and repair. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 21, 696–711 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-00279-w

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