Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
A Lab-On-A-Chip Platform for Stimulating Osteocyte Mechanotransduction and Analyzing Functional Outcomes of Bone Remodeling
Published on: May 21, 2020
Effect of lacunocanalicular architecture on hydraulic conductance in bone tissue: implications for bone health and
Sanjay Mishra1, Melissa L Knothe Tate
1Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Research Center, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio44195, USA.
Abstract:
Bone tissue health depends largely on efficient fluid and solute transport between the blood supply and cells that are the living component of the tissue. We hypothesized that the lacunocanalicular hydraulic network, which is defined by the pericellular fluid space that is common to all bone tissue, is optimized to transport fluid and solutes between the blood supply and bone cells. An analytical study was carried out to evaluate the effect of osteonal architecture, including the osteon diameter, number of annular lamellar regions, and number and length of canalicular channels, on fluid transport between the blood supply and bone cells. On the basis of this analysis, we conclude that osteon size is limited to the distance over which fluid and solutes can be transported efficiently between the blood supply and cells. This analytic model suggests that hydraulic conductivity is highest in lamellar regions closest to the Haversian canal (HC) and decreases with increasing distance from the blood supply, reaching a plateau after the fifth lamella (169 micro m radius). Furthermore, an increase in the diameter of the HC, or a decrease in the length of canaliculi, reduces the hydraulic conductivity within the lacunocanalicular network. Applying the principle of minimal expenditure of energy to this analysis, the path distance comprising five or six lamellar regions represents an effective limit for fluid and solute transport between the blood supply and cells; beyond this threshold, hydraulic resistance in the network increases and additional energy expenditure is necessary for further transportation. This suggests that transport is optimized to meet metabolic demands concomitant with a minimal expenditure of energy. This fundamental new insight into bone structure and physiology may provide a new basis of understanding for tissue engineering, bone physiology in health and disease, and evolutionary biology.
Related Concept Videos
01:55Bone Structure
01:40Bone Remodeling
01:23Bone as Supporting Connective Tissue
Bone Matrix
Bone, or osseous tissue, is a connective tissue that has a large amount of two different types of matrix material. The organic matrix is similar to the matrix material found in other connective tissues, including some amount of collagen and elastic fibers. This gives strength and flexibility to the tissue. The inorganic matrix consists of mineral salts— mostly calcium salts— that give the...
01:18The Bone Matrix
01:27Compact Bone
Compact bone, also called cortical bone, is the denser, stronger of the two types of bone tissue. It is found under the periosteum and in the diaphyses of long bones, where it provides support and protection. The microscopic structural unit of compact bone is called an osteon, or haversian system. Each osteon is composed of concentric rings of calcified...
01:09Spongy Bone
Spongy bone is more porous, and less dense compared to compact bone. It is composed of concentric lamellae that are arranged irregularly to form the trabecular network. In some bones, the spaces between trabeculae contain red marrow, where...