Professor Nilima Nigam
Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Bone growth and destruction at the cellular level: a mathematical model

Abstract:

The process of bone growth and destruction are continually occuring in healthy bone. The process is called "remodeling". We describe remodeling at the cellular level, discussing the cells and important biochemical factors involved. We then develop a mathematical model for remodeling, and discuss how various parameters may be obtained through physiological considerations. The model consists of a system of coupled PDE, and we shall comment on their mathematical properties. Numerical experiments validating the model will be presented. This is joint work with Marc Ryser and Svetlana Komarova