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Our bodies completely overhaul our bones every seven to 10 years, breaking down old or damaged bone tissue and replacing it with new bone, and for decades global medical experts have operating under the assumption that there were only four biological processes through which bones regenerate.
Now, a groundbreaking discovery made in Saskatoon may rewrite that textbook understanding of human anatomy.
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The four known biological processes guiding bone regeneration include inflammation, soft callus formation, ossification, and bone remodelling, but in a news release last week researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) said they have discovered a fifth way that tissue rebuilds itself within specific parts of our bones.
The team used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron on the USask campus in Saskatoon to uncover the mechanism and the findings deepen the fundamental understanding of bone health and could pave the way for revolutionary, new bone-strengthening treatments for people living with osteoporosis.
The research focuses heavily on trabecular bone — also known as spongy or cancellous bone. This porous, honeycomb-like tissue is located at the ends of long bones, such as the thigh bone, and in the centre of flat or irregular bones, like the vertebrae of the spine.
While it only makes up roughly 20 per cent of the adult skeleton, trabecular bone is absolutely vital for absorbing everyday shock and supporting our joints.
Previously, pathologists assumed that the microscopic holes or canals visible in trabecular bone biopsies were strictly evidence of bone loss and they were often attributed to chronic kidney disease or disorders related to the parathyroid hormone, which controls calcium levels in human blood.
Lisbeth Thomsen is a postdoctoral fellow at USask. (Canadian Light Source/Submitted)
Lisbeth Thomsen, a postdoctoral fellow at USask, says she and her colleagues were highly curious whether these holes were simply a negative sign of disease, or if a completely different biological function was at play.
“We wanted to see what is going on because it looked like it was actually maintaining bone in a way that has never been described before,” Thomsen said in a news release.
“It looked like the bone was actually renewing itself from the inside, which it is not supposed to do in the trabecular bone.”
To solve the medical mystery, the international research team — which included USask bone aging and disease expert Professor David Cooper and SDU Clinical Research Professor Thomas Andersen — turned to the ultrabright synchrotron light at the CLS.
The technology allowed them to watch bone tissue regeneration happening in real time within a healthy, live rabbit, whose bone structure is remarkably similar to human bone.
Their subsequent review of human bone biopsies determined that this specific regeneration process is entirely normal in people of all ages, from young adults to the elderly.
The team’s published findings in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research speculate that this is a naturally occurring, beneficial process that makes our skeletons healthier by actively removing micro-damaged bone.
The discovery carries major clinical implications for aging populations.
Thomsen noted that the team’s findings suggest this deep remodelling process should be closely monitored in patients with osteoporosis or high levels of parathyroid hormone, where the development of these tissue holes appears to switch into overdrive.
Looking forward, Thomsen hopes global researchers will explore how common vitamin D supplements and parathyroid hormone medications impact this newly discovered remodeling pathway.
The USask research group is already building on their success, shifting their focus to studying tissue regeneration in people suffering from kidney disease to further protect skeletal health.
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