Bone development and physiology

From a surgeon’s perspective, it is easy to think of bone as an inert, lifeless, rigid structure. This is not the case; bone must be considered both as a living, elastic tissue and as a complex organ with a range of biological functions and diverse interactions with other organ systems. This chapter considers bone embryology; bone growth; bone remodelling; mechanobiology; non-mechanical influences on bone structure; calcium regulatory pathways.