Abstract
Bone fragility increases with age as the result of the concurrent decline of bone mass, quality, and mechanosensitivity. While the coordinated decline of these behaviors remains unexplained, the role of osteocytes in each of these processes, and the age‐related degeneration of the lacunocanalicular network (LCN) in which they reside, implicate osteocytes in bone aging. Using a combination of imaging and computational modeling, we identify canalicular pruning as a driver behind declining bone functionality with age. Furthermore, these analyses predict novel opportunities to restore function to aged osteocyte networks through expansion of the pericellular space.
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