Wolff's law

Wolff's Law is a theory developed by the German anatomist and surgeon, Julius Wolff, in the 19th century. According to this law, bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The internal architecture of the trabeculae undergoes adaptive changes, followed by secondary changes to the external cortical portion of the bone, perhaps becoming thicker as a result. The inverse is true as well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become weaker due to turnover, it is less metabolically costly to maintain and there is no stimulus for continued remodeling that is required to maintain bone mass.

History

Julius Wolff (1836-1902), a German anatomist and surgeon, proposed the law known as Wolff's Law in the 19th century. He based his theory on his studies of bird bones, which he found to be hollow and light, yet strong enough to withstand the forces of flight. Wolff's Law was later expanded upon by Harold Frost in the 20th century.

Mechanism

The mechanism behind Wolff's Law is thought to be the osteocytes (bone cells) within the bone, which are able to sense changes in mechanical stress. When stress is applied to the bone, fluid flows through the canaliculi (small channels within the bone) and stimulates the osteocytes. These cells then send signals to other cells to either deposit more bone tissue or remove bone tissue, depending on the nature of the stress.

Clinical Significance

Wolff's Law has important implications in orthopedic surgery, particularly in the healing of fractures and the integration of implants. It is also significant in the field of osteoporosis, a condition characterized by decreased bone mass and increased risk of fractures. Understanding Wolff's Law can help in the development of treatments for osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

See Also

• Bone remodeling
• Osteoporosis
• Orthopedic surgery
• Julius Wolff

References

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