Fluid Mechanics in Bone Mechanotransduction
Summary
Bone tissue adapts to mechanical loading through a complex interplay of matrix deformation and fluid movement within its porous architecture. Mechanical strains imposed by impact or muscle contraction generate pressure gradients and interstitial fluid flow through the lacunocanalicular network, stimulating osteocytes to regulate bone formation and resorption. Fluid shear stress and pore pressure act as primary stimuli for cellular mechanotransduction, activating signalling pathways that modulate osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. Computational models combining poroelastic theory with three-dimensional imaging have elucidated how network geometry, canalicular connectivity and intramedullary pressure influence local fluid velocities and shear forces. These insights underpin our understanding of skeletal adaptation in normal physiology, the accelerated bone loss observed in microgravity and opportunities to harness mechanobiology in rehabilitation and osteoporosis treatment.
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Fluid Mechanics in Bone Mechanotransduction publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluid mechanics in bone mechanotransduction across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mechanotransduction: Conversion of mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals by cells.
Lacunocanalicular network (LCN): Interconnected fluid-filled channels surrounding osteocytes within bone.
Intramedullary pressure: Fluid pressure within the marrow cavity that influences pore fluid movement.
Fluid shear stress: Tangential force exerted by fluid flow on cell membranes.
Osteocyte: Mature bone cell embedded in the mineralised matrix, acting as a mechanosensor.
Poroelasticity: Combined mechanical behaviour of a porous solid and its interstitial fluid under load.
References
- Influence of intramedullary pressure on Lacuno-Canalicular fluid flow: A systematic review. Acta Biomaterialia (2024).
- Network architecture strongly influences the fluid flow pattern through the lacunocanalicular network in human osteons. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology (2019).
- A multiscale 3D finite element analysis of fluid/solute transport in mechanically loaded bone. Bone Research (2016).
- Changes in interstitial fluid flow, mass transport and the bone cell response in microgravity and normogravity. Bone Research (2022).
- Computational Investigation on the Biomechanical Responses of the Osteocytes to the Compressive Stimulus: A Poroelastic Model. BioMed Research International (2018).
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