Bone conduction, or osteoconduction, is a bone matrix that provides bones with the materials they need to remain strong. Living bone cells are responsible for making and maintaining this matrix. The bone cells within the matrix assist with bone rejuvenation and the healing process. Bone grafts are used to promote healing and growth. A successful bone graft is dependent upon several principles, including osteoconduction, osteoinduction and osteogenesis. Osteoconduction provides the guidance, osteoinduction encourages the transformation of undifferentiated cells to active bone cells and osteogenesis, living osteoblasts within the graft material aid in the bone renovation process.
Osteoconduction guides the reparative growth of the native bone. The material used for the bone graft serves as the framework for the new bone growth that is propagated by the patient’s natural bone. Osteoblasts from the defected area that is being grafted utilize the grafting material as a scaffold. The osteoblasts use this framework to spread and create new bone. Guiding new bone growth requires the use of bone-graft material that is osteoconductive.