Human prostate cancer frequently metastasizes to bone, where it gives rise to osteoblastic bone metastases with an underlying osteoclastic component and subsequent bone pain. However, the importance of osteoclastogenesis in the development of prostate cancer bone lesions in humans is unclear. Osteoprotegerin/osteoclastogenesis inhibitory factor (OCIF) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor re...

Skeletal metastases are frequent complications of many cancers, causing bone (fractures, pain, disability) that negatively affect the patient’s quality life. Here, we first discuss burden skeletal in cancer metastasis. We then describe pathophysiology Bone metastasis is a multistage process: long before development clinically detectable metastases, circulating tumor cells settle and enter dorma...

The repair of large bone defects remains a major clinical orthopaedic challenge. Bone is a highly vascularised tissue reliant on the close spatial and temporal connection between blood vessels and bone cells to maintain skeletal integrity. Angiogenesis thus plays a pivotal role in skeletal development and bone fracture repair. Current procedures to repair bone defects and to provide structural ...

Four year old girl was evaluated for precocious puberty. Breast development and pubic hair growth had started at age 2½ year, and had been followed by vaginal bleeding resembling periods. Gaf-au-lait spots were present in most of her skin surface. Bone x-rays showed multiple cysts in pelvis and the metaphysis of femur. Diagnosis of McCune-Albright syndrome was made. Concentrations of all hormon...

Bone has considerable potential for repair as illustrated by the phenomenon of fracture healing. Repair and regeneration of bone recapitulate the sequential stages of development. It is well known that demineralized bone matrix has the potential to induce new bone formation locally at a heterotopic site of implantation. The sequential development of bone is reminiscent of endochondral bone diff...

The mass of growing bones increases through changes in outer dimensions and through the net addition of tissue on inner bone surfaces. In this overview I examine bone accrual as it occurs on trabecular (inner) and periosteal (outer) surfaces. In the axial skeleton, the amount of trabecular bone increases during development, because trabeculae grow thicker as a result of bone remodeling with a p...

intraosseous ganglia can affect the carpal bones of the hand and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of wrist pain. a 38-year-old female presented with a 14-month history of left wrist pain and a radiolucent cystic lesion was seen computed tomography (ct) scanning. characteristic radiographic findings of a cyst in association with a fine sclerotic rim was apparent. we report an unu...

The primary role of osteoblasts is to lay down new bone during skeletal development and remodelling. Throughout this process osteoblasts directly interact with other cell types within bone, including osteocytes and haematopoietic stem cells. Osteoblastic cells also signal indirectly to bone-resorbing osteoclasts via the secretion of RANKL. Through these mechanisms, cells of the osteoblast linea...