Cells transiently expressing periostin are required for intramedullary intramembranous bone regeneration.

Intramembranous bone regeneration plays an important role in fixation of intramedullary implants used in joint replacement and dental implants used in tooth replacement. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of intramembranous bone regeneration in these clinical procedures, the underlying mechanisms have not been well explored. A previous study that examined transcriptomic profiles of regenerating bone from the marrow space showed that increased periostin gene expression preceded increases in several osteogenic genes.