The many adaptations of bone
Abstract
Studies concerned with the "adaptations" in bones usually deal with modelling taking place during the individual's lifetime. However, many adaptations are produced over evolutionary time. This survey samples some adaptations of bone that may occur over both length scales, and tries to show whether short- or long-term adaptation is important. (a) Woven and lamellar bone. Woven bone is less mechanically competent than lamellar bone but is frequently found in bones that grow quickly. (b) Stress concentrations in bone. Bone is full of cavities that potentially may act as stress concentrators. Usually these cavities are oriented to minimise their stress-concentrating effect. Furthermore, the "flow" of lamellae round the cavities will still further reduce their stress-concentrating effect, but the elastic anisotropy of bone will, contrarily, tend to enhance it in normal loading situations. (c) Stiffness versus toughness. The mineral content of bone is the main determinant of differences in mechanical properties. Different bones have different mineral contents that optimise the mix of stiffness and toughness needed. (d) Synergy of whole bone architecture and material properties. As bone material properties change during growth the architecture of the whole bone is modified concurrently, to produce an optimum mechanical behaviour of the whole bone. (e) Secondary remodelling. The formation of secondary osteones in general weakens bone. Various suggestions that have been put forward to account for secondary remodelling: enabling mineral homeostasis; removing dead bone; changing the grain of the bone; taking out microcracks. (f) The hollowness of bones. It is shown how the degree of hollowness is adapted to the life of the animal.
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Osteocytes from trabecular bone are more rounded than osteocytes from cortical bone, which display an elongated morphology.
“For instance, osteocytes from trabecular bone are more rounded than osteocytes from cortical bone, which display an elongated morphology [57].”
From Biology of Bone Tissue: Structure, Function, and Factors That Influence Bone Cells (2015) · cites this paper as [57]
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- Authors
- Currey, J. D.
- Affiliations
- University of York (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Currey, J.D
- Venue
- Journal of Biomechanics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-10
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1487-1495
- ISSN
- 0021-9290 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2014397497
- Cited by
- 439
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 8.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Biomechanics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Bone health and osteoporosis research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Urology › Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Bone Metabolism and Diseases
- Keywords
- bone adaptation, adaptive evolution, woven bone, lamellar bone, stress concentration, bone cavities, elastic anisotropy, bone mineral content, bone structure, bone mechanical properties
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Biomechanical Phenomena, Bone and Bones, Humans, Bone Remodeling
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