An elderly patient experiences decreased bone density and increased fracture risk due to reduced physical activity. Which mechanism underlies the increased bone fragility, despite sufficient calcium intake?

💡 Explanation

Reduced physical activity decreases mechanical loading on bone, disrupting the mechanical signal transduction pathway. Because osteocytes sense this reduced strain, they signal decreased bone formation relative to resorption, leading to lower bone density and increased fragility; therefore reduced transduction weakens the bone, rather than enhanced osteoblast activity.

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