What is the importance of multiphysical phenomena in bone remodelling signals expression? A multiscale perspective

Cortical bone, constituting the outer shell of long bones, is continuously renewed by bone cells in response to daily stimuli. This process, known as bone remodelling, is essential for proper bone functioning in both physiological and pathological conditions. Classical bone remodelling models do not, or only implicitly do, take into account physico-chemical phenomena, focussing on the mechanosensitivity property of the tissue. The aim of this paper is to carry out an investigation of the multiphysical phenomena occuring in bone life. Using a recent multiscale model combining piezoelectricity and electrokinetics to poromechanics, the usual viewpoint of bone remodelling models is questioned and new research avenues are proposed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.