Investigation of Osteoclast Resorption Mechanisms in a Hybrid Cellular Automaton Model of Bone Remodeling

Bone is a living tissue which is continually adapting to its biological environment via continuous formation and resorption. It is generally accepted that bone remodeling occurs in response to daily mechanical loading. The remodeling process enables various functions, such as damage repair, adaptation to mechanical loads, and mineral homeostasis [1]. The cells that are responsible for the bone remodeling process are the bone resorbing osteoclasts and the bone forming osteoblasts. These cells closely coordinate their actions in a basic multicellular unit to renew “packets” of bone.