How is bone mass regulated in the body?

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    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Bone mass is regulated through a dynamic remodeling process that involves a balance between osteoclasts, which resorb bone, and osteoblasts, which form new bone. An imbalance that favors osteoclast activity can lead to conditions like osteoporosis, particularly after age 50 and during menopause, which increases the risk of fractures.

    Bone is much more dynamic than it may appear, constantly undergoing a remodeling process of resorption and new bone formation. Whether or not bone mass is lost through resorption or gained is determined by the balance between osteoclast cells, which carry out bone resorption, and osteoblast cells, which form new bone tissue. The ability of bone to undergo dynamic remodeling is important for regulating calcium and phosphate levels in the body, as well as healing bone fractures and adapting to different mechanical stimuli.[1]

    osteoporosis, which literally means “porous bone”, is caused by an imbalance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, favoring the bone- resorbing activity of the latter. The risk of such an imbalance greatly increases after about age 50, particularly so in women at the time of menopause. Osteoporosis is a common cause of bone fractures in older adults.[2]

    How is bone mass regulated in the body? - Examine