Bone mineral surface

The bone mineral surface refers to the exposed surface of the hydroxyapatite and other calcium phosphate mineral crystals found within bone tissue. This surface provides the interface for the attachment and activity of bone cells—including osteoclasts, which resorb bone by adhering to and dissolving the bone mineral surface, and osteoblasts, which lay down new mineralized bone. The mineral phase is primarily hydroxyapatite, often with carbonate and other substitutions, and the surface is hydrated and chemically dynamic. The bone mineral surface is critical for bone remodeling processes, drug interactions (notably bisphosphonates, which bind strongly to this surface), and pathological processes in metabolic bone diseases.

Targeting osteoclast/bone mineral interface to inhibit bone resorption (e.g., bisphosphonates bind to bone mineral surface and are ingested by osteoclasts, resulting in apoptosis)