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How human bone repairs itself
Here is the abstract of the article:
- Our bones are full of cracks, which form and grow as a result of daily loading activities. Bone is the major structural material in our bodies. Although weaker than many engineering materials, it has one trick that keeps it ahead — it can repair itself. Small cracks, which grow under cyclic stresses by the mechanism of fatigue, can be detected and removed before they become long enough to be dangerous. This article reviews the work that has been done to understand how cracks form and grow in bone, and how they can be detected and repaired in a timely manner. This is truly an interdisciplinary research field, requiring the close cooperation of materials scientists, biologists and engineers.
The article discusses the problem in terms of the nature of the damage, the damage identification and repair mechanisms. Apparently, the repair mechanism is the movement of a 200 micron diameter cavity known as basic multicellular unit (BMU) which moves along the length of the bone at the speed of 40 microns per day. The article explains this as well as the kinds of damage that bones sustain and the detection of the same in a lucid manner. A very interesting piece that is worth your while!
- Mogadalai Gururajan's blog
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