MICROSCALE ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS IN BONE ADAPTATION

Advances in cell biology have been dramatic over the past two decades One phenomenon now well established is that the mechanical loading of cells has a profound influence on their function. This phenomenon is p articularly important for bones, because they alter their density and geometry in response to mechanical loading in an attempt to understand and ultimately control the underlying biological mechanisms of this b one adaptation, researchers are now mechanically probing whole Bones, bone cell cultures, and individual cells using a variety of microscale technologies. There is, however, a substantial need for improved tech nology. The overall goal of this review is to encourage the participat ion of the microscale engineering community in this new field of resea rch. Specifically, we describe here possible clinical applications, in troduce some basic concepts of bone and cell biology, describe the cur rent microscale technology used in this field, and critically review e xperiment results. This should provide a basis for the entry of intere sted microscale engineers into this field.