Skeletal Blood Flow in Bone Repair and Maintenance.
Bone is a highly vascularized tissue, although this aspect of bone is often overlooked. In this article, the importance of blood flow in bone repair and regeneration will be reviewed. First, the skeletal vascular anatomy, with an emphasis on long bones, the distinct mechanisms for vascularizing bone tissue, and methods for remodeling existing vasculature are discussed. Next, techniques for quantifying bone blood flow are briefly summarized. Finally, the body of experimental work that demonstrates the role of bone blood flow in fracture healing, distraction osteogenesis, osteoporosis, disuse osteopenia, and bone grafting is examined. These results illustrate that adequate bone blood flow is an important clinical consideration, particularly during bone regeneration and in at-risk patient groups.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis , Saint Louis, MO, USA ; Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis , Saint Louis, MO, USA.
Ryan E
RE
Tomlinson
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis , Saint Louis, MO, USA ; Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis , Saint Louis, MO, USA.
Matthew J
MJ
Silva
angiogenesis; blood flow; bone repair; fracture; vascular remodeling