Very few of us consider that our own bones are living, breathing tissues that are strong, resilient and alive. Bones change throughout our lifetime. Existing as cartilage in the fetus as early as the fourth or fifth month, ossification progresses rapidly throughout the first four or five years of life, and proceeds according to genetic codes until the final size and shape of every bone is attained, usually by about age 25. Yet, throughout your life, your bones continually respond to use and abuse, to the wide variety of stresses experienced in a lifetime. Bones, when stressed, create more bone.
Bone cells called osteoblasts create new bone tissue, while cells called osteoclasts destroy it.
The hollow interior of the bone expands in specific patterns in proportion to the solid exterior, preventing bones from being overly solid and heavy. Just as muscles respond to a weight training program by creating more muscle mass, bones, too, will create more mass to accommodate the stress. Bone is living tissue, and needs balanced activity to maintain health. Bone tissue is permeated with blood vessels, lymph channels and nerve branches. It is surrounded by a thin layer of connective tissue called periosteum that is rich in both blood and nerve supply, and interfaces with ligaments and tendons.