MODELING FLUORESCENC RECOVERY AFTER PHOTOBLEACHING IN CYCLICALLY LOADED BONE: POTENTIAL APPLICATION IN QUANTITATIVELY MEASURING LOAD-INDUCED SOLUTE FLOWS

摘要

Recent experiments strongly suggest that osteocytes, the most numerous bone cells, play much more active roles in bone adaptation and metabolism. These multifunctioning cells are found to detect external mechanical stimuli, and to release soluable agents that modulate the functioning of other cell types. Solute transport around osteocytes through the bone lacunar-canalicular system (LCS), especially via load-induced convection, is critical for osteocyte viability and proper functioning. However, despite of significant advance in elucidating the LCS microstructure, permeability, and the molecular sieving properties, the fundamental mechanisms of solute transport around osteocytes still remain poorly understood, and solute flows have not been quantified in vivo.