Innervation de l'os

Abstract

The presence of nerves in relation to the skeleton has been known for many years. More recently, immuno-reactivity for nerve markers and neuropeptides has been studied in bone and those studies have shown evidence for a dense and intimate innervation of this tissue. Both sympathetic and sensory nerve fibers are present in bone, and experimental and clinical studies indicate that innervation is important for bone growth, osification, repair and remodeling. A number of recent studies have contributed to the renewed interest and development of this field of research. First with the identification in bone of new neuromediators, in particular glutamate and serotonin, which have receptors on bone cells and affect their function; second with the demonstration, using surgical and chemical sensory and sympathectomy denervation models, that these two neuronal systems control bone cell metabolism; third with the establishment of the existence of a bone mass regulation by the central nervous system. The manipulation of the neuronal pathway in bone may therefore present a major therapeutic impact for treatment of pathologies associated with modifications of bone remodeling, such as osteoporosis.