Modeling Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching in Cyclically Loaded Bone: Potential Application in Quantitatively Measuring Load-Induced Solute Flows

Recent experiments strongly suggest that osteocytes, the most numerous bone cells, play much more active roles in bone adaptation and metabolism [1]. These multifunctioning cells are found to detect external mechanical stimuli, and to release soluable agents that modulate the functioning of other cell types [1, 2]. Solute transport around osteocytes through the bone lacunar-canalicular system (LCS), especially via load-induced convection, is critical for osteocyte viability and proper functioning. However, despite of significant advance in elucidating the LCS microstructure, permeability, and the molecular sieving properties [3–5], the fundamental mechanisms of solute transport around osteocytes still remain poorly understood, and solute flows have not been quantified in vivo.