Osteocytes were the forgotten bone cell until the bone community could become convinced that these cells do serve an important role in bone function and maintenance. In this review we trace the history of osteocyte characterization and present some of the major observations that are leading to the conclusion that these cells are not passive placeholders residing in the bone matrix, but are indeed, major orchestrators of bone remodeling.
Keywords: bone remodelling; osteocytes; parathyroid hormone.