Regulation of Bone by Mechanical Loading, Sex Hormones, and Nerves: Integration of Such Regulatory Complexity and Implications for Bone Loss during Space Flight and Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis

This review discusses how bone integrity is maintained through mechanical loading, sex hormones, and neural elements, proposing further study to improve treatments for bone loss in post-menopausal women or during prolonged space flight. The review integrates mechanical loading with sex hormones and neural elements in maintaining bone integrity, considering different loading environments. The paper explores how these regulatory elements are integrated across the lifespan to maintain bone function, especially in humans who walk upright.

• 1
  Bone loss after spinal cord injury (SCI) is not solely due to disuse, suggesting a role for neural regulation.
• 2
  The interplay between mechanical loading, sex hormones, and neural input dynamically regulates bone throughout life.
• 3
  Fracture healing may be influenced by neural factors, potentially explaining accelerated healing observed with brain trauma.