Bone Reconstruction

Made up of 206 bones with an extensive network of connected ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, the skeletal system is the main support mechanism for the whole human body. Whether you are running or brushing your teeth, movements depend on the joint function of your muscles and bones in your everyday activities. During the process of bone remodeling, an imbalance in the two main cell types, osteoclasts and osteoblasts, may result in severe damage in the bone structure. This may result in diseases like arthritis, bone fractures, congenital malformations, etc. And although bone grafting has been successful in repairing bone defects by harvesting a graft from healthy tissue and transplanting in exchange with the damaged tissue, negative effects have been inflammation, resorption of the transplanted bone, and injury to the area where the bone was extracted. Luckily, stem cell technology has paved a way for solving issues like this, allowing scientists to tackle this problem successfully. This is possible by using mesenchymal or progenitor stem cells which are found in adult bone marrow, adipose tissue, skin, umbilical cord, or a placenta. They have properties of multi-lineage differentiation, giving rise and aid to osteoblasts and muscle cell chodrocytes in the bone, allowing for successful healing and bone recuperation.
(Image 7, text 6)