Bone turnover

Bone remodeling is a life long process where old bone is removed from the skeleton (a sub-process called bone resorption) and new bone is added (a sub-process called ossification or bone formation). These processes also control the reshaping or replacement of bone during growth and following injuries. Remodeling responds to functional demands and muscle attachments. As a result bone is added where needed and removed where it is not required.

In the first year of life, almost 100% of the skeleton is replaced. In adults, remodeling proceeds at about 10% per year.

An imbalance in the regulation of bone remodeling's two sub-processes, bone resorption and bone formation, results in many metabolic bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.