Osteoblast/Clast Remodeling III: Density

Consider possible remodeling effects that might strengthen bone:

increase in outward circumference
increase in solid bone volume inward (note photo of calf cannons above.)
increase in volume of materials in a given area--density
increase in volume and amount of bonding materials
increase in strength of bonds at micro level
possible change in % of various materials at micro level

Those are possibilities. And note, for the mineralized matrix that comprises 95% of the bone, size or volume increases involve new bone construction, and thus must come from long term osteoclast/blast remodeling instead of the short term, temporary remodeling effects note on the blog in April! Note also the (estimated by me) time frame for construction of a new, mineralized cell is about 2 months!

Thus, what we looking at here: what will the osteoblast/clast remodeling give us, and how do we bring this about !

Understanding here requires a short review. For any newbie to the blog, here is a very nice encapsulation of this whole osteoblast/clast process:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoblast

For our horses, we must take the human remodeling thing quite a bit further along the road. We know, regardless of the organism, Osteoblast cells construct bone by laying down unmineralized collagen cells first by giving birth to a new cell, and then laying down a certain specific number of cells in a given area. This is a crucial concept!!! Regardless of the reasons or stimulation sources of the new cells to be born, the newly constructed cells are put together by their various chemical and mechanical process in the same size, patterns and numbers! There is therefore not an increase in size or increase in numbers of new cells in a specific area because the originating cause of the new cell construction happened to be exercise!

What does this mean for our horse? Simply that increases in bone strength may be caused by increases in size OR increases in density, and that there are different processes involved in getting these desired effects. This post has identified the osteoblast/clast remodeling to be the source of the quality of increasing bone in size and volume. For increases in density however, we need look elsewhere for our originating process!

Training:
Since Wed we're dry at the farm. The much predicted rain around us skips, this time.
Thurs. 6/18: 1.8 miles for both horses slow with 1.3 miles of it gallop.
Fri. 6/19 2 miles for each horse with 1.5 miles of it gallop up to :18s.