The integrated processes of hard tissue regeneration with special emphasis on fracture healing

When bone is fractured, a sequence of dynamic events ensue to restore form and therefore function. Many key biologic cell regulators for these events have been identified, expressed through recombinant technology, and their roles posited. Moreover, the availability of recombinantly engineered molecules, such as the bone morphogenetic proteins with their potential to benefit patient care, has ushered in an important era in clinical dentistry that may eliminate either autografting or bank bone allografts. Therefore, in this review article, we have highlighted some of the exciting biologic regulators relevant to bone fracture healing and outlined the dynamic elements in this process.