November 11, 2024

Daniel Le 

12th Grade

Fountain Valley High School

Have you ever broken a bone? If so, there are many different types of fractures one could unfortunately experience: transverse, linear, oblique, greenstick, and comminuted to name a few. Despite the various classifications, most fractures follow the same process of bone regeneration. This is made possible because of the osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes collectivity working together on the area of a fracture. 

After a bone is fractured, the surrounding blood vessels will release blood clots and form a hematoma. The purpose of the fracture hematoma is to deliver nutrients to the site of injury and promote bone regrowth. Typically, forty-eight hours after a bone has been fractured, cells originating from the fractured bone’s endosteum migrate to the site of fracture. The cells differentiate into chondrocytes, cells that secrete a fibrocartilaginous matrix; which will then develop into an internal callus. The chondrocytes will then work with osteoblasts, cells that create bone, and form the external callus, the framework for the bone to regenerate and osteoblasts to build on. Osteoclasts act as “cleaner” cells and eliminate dead bone debris. Over time, usually a few weeks, the internal callus transforms into the trabecular bone and transforms into the compact bone after a few months; resulting in the fracture being fully healed.

Many factors contribute to a healthy bone density for an individual. Such factors include age, diet, and gender. Older individuals can expect a lower bone density due to an increase in osteoclast activity. With an increase of osteoclasts and not osteoblasts, more bone is being “shaved” by the osteoclasts rather than being built by the osteoblasts. 

Diet serves an important role in bone density. Calcium is a vital mineral in your diet to ensure healthy osteoblast activity and promote bone growth. It is recommended for an adult to consume 700mg of calcium daily. Milk, cheese, leafy vegetables, tofu, and nuts are all rich in calcium. Another important supplement to the human diet is Vitamin D. Without vitamin D, proper absorption of calcium would not be possible and result in lower bone density. Humans get most of their vitamin D from the sun; however oily fish, egg yolk, and fortified foods are all excellent sources to retrieve Vitamin D. 

Due to a lower amount of estrogen during menopause, a majority of older women tend to have a lower bone density. Estrogen acts as an inhibitor for osteoclasts, cells that carry out their functions of building bones. Instead, estrogen in menopausal women fluctuates constantly and is lower than normal. As a result, osteoclasts cannot be inhibited and more bone is broken than built and then the bone density decreases.

By having healthy bone density, humans are able to have strong and dense bones. Without strong bones, risks of fractures and the inability to perform activities will arise. The adult skeletal system has 206 bones, so it is important to guarantee healthy bone density by taking care of our bones, especially through the food we eat.