Osteoconduction
Pronunciation: os-tee-oh-con-DUK-shun
The process by which a graft material provides a scaffold along which new bone cells can migrate and proliferate.
Full Definition
Osteoconduction refers to the passive role of a graft material as a three-dimensional matrix or framework that guides the ingrowth of bone-forming cells from adjacent host bone. Unlike osteogenesis (production of new bone by transplanted living cells) or osteoinduction (stimulation of undifferentiated cells to become bone-forming), osteoconduction does not itself generate or stimulate new bone formation. Most alloplastic materials and many allografts function primarily via this mechanism. Editors working with periodontal research manuscripts should be precise about which of the three mechanisms — osteoconduction, osteoinduction, or osteogenesis — is being attributed to a given material.
Usage
Usage note: Part of a precise triad with osteoinduction and osteogenesis. Misuse is common in manuscripts. Always verify which mechanism the author intends.
In Context
- "Hydroxyapatite grafts promote healing through osteoconduction, not osteoinduction." — Research manuscript
- "The three properties — osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenesis — must not be used interchangeably in systematic reviews." — Journal editorial guideline