Although bone may appear superficially as a static tissue, it is actually very dynamic, undergoing constant remodeling throughout the life of the vertebrate organism.
This occurs with the synchronized action of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, cells that resorb and deposit bone, respectively.
The remodeling period consists of the combined duration of the resorption, the osteoclastic reversal (the phase marked by shifting of resorption processes into formative processes) and the formation periods of bone growth and development.
[4] The size of a BMU is roughly 200μm in diameter, defined by the 100μm diffusion capability in bone.
[6] Each vertebrate species exhibits a distinct duration of bone regeneration and remodeling, and it appears as though there is an inversely proportional relationship between the rate of bone regeneration and the phylogenetic evolution of the animal.