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Bone remodelling: Should we cry wolff?

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Abstract

Wolff’s Law describes the relationship between the structure and function of bone. Julius Wolff based his law on a comparison of the stress trajectories in Culmann’s crane with the pattern of trabecular bone in the femoral neck. However, his analysis was based on a misinterpretation of mechanical data and a rejection of bone resorption. Wilhelm Roux was the first to accurately describe the adaptation of bone to altered load, so Roux’s Law would be a more accurate eponym.

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Lee, T.C., Taylor, D. Bone remodelling: Should we cry wolff?. Ir. J. Med. Sci. 168, 102–105 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02946474

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