BOX 2-1Bone Remodeling Terms and Definitions
Cortical bone: One of two types of bone; makes up the outer part of all skeletal structures (nearly 80 percent of the skeleton); is dense and compact with a slow turnover rate and is highly resistant to bending and torsion.
Trabecular bone: Second of the two bone types; found inside of long bones, vertebrae, pelvis, and other large flat bones; is less dense than cortical bone and has a higher turnover rate.
Osteoblast: A type of bone cell that is responsible for the production of bone and bone formation.
Osteoclast: A type of bone cell that resorbs bone using acid and enzymes.
Bone remodeling: Process that occurs throughout the lifetime that results from the pairing action of osteoclasts (breaking down) and osteoblasts (building up), which replaces damaged bone with new material.
Bone modeling: A similar process to remodeling, except that new bone is formed at a location different from the site of resorption, such as during times of growth.
SOURCE: Hadjidakis and Androulakis, 2006.