title: General analysis of mathematical models for bone remodeling.
abstract: Bone remodeling is regulated by pathways controlling the interplay of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. In this work, we apply the method of generalized modeling to systematically analyse a large class of models of bone remodeling. Our analysis shows that osteoblast precursors can play an important role in the regulation of bone remodeling. Further, we find that the parameter regime most likely realized in nature lies close to bifurcation lines, marking qualitative changes in the dynamics. Although proximity to a bifurcation facilitates adaptive responses to changing external conditions, it entails the danger of losing dynamical stability. Some evidence implicates such dynamical transitions as a potential mechanism leading to forms of Paget's disease.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany. zumsande@mpipks-dresden.mpg.de
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zumsande
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stiefs
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siegmund
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000166:cytology