(i) Pathways and signalling molecules

SummaryFracture healing is a complex and well orchestrated regenerative process, initiated in response to injury, resulting in optimal skeletal repair and restoration of skeletal function. Fracture healing remains to a great extent an unknown cascade, and recent developments in molecular biology have helped us to better understand the fracture healing cellular and molecular pathways. In this paper, we summarize the current knowledge of the most important molecules involved in the sequence of events during fracture healing, and we also focus on the latest research findings that will play important roles in the near future in better understanding fracture healing at the molecular level.