Researchers discover overlooked process of bone renewal

Small tunnels in the spongy (trabecular) part of bone have been known for decades, but their role has remained unclear. Researchers from the Department of Clinical Research at the University of Southern Denmark, together with Danish and international colleagues from the U.S. and Canada, now show that these tunnels are part of a process that renews trabecular bone from within. In the hard outer layer of bone, researchers already know that similar tunnels form as part of the bone renewal process. The new study shows that a comparable process also occurs within the small rods and plates of trabecular bone. The study is published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

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