Rhythms in your bones: how circadian rhythms impact bone cell function and skeletal health

Circadian rhythms play a central role in how bone tissue is formed, resorbed, and remodelled during the 24-h cycle. Bone cells express core clock proteins, which coordinate the timing of these processes, each contributing differently to the balance between bone formation and resorption. These intrinsic bone-cell clocks are further influenced by external temporal cues, including hormonal effects and mechanical forces such as exercise. Taken together, these features indicate that skeletal bone tissue is significantly influenced by the peripheral clock. In this review, we summarise recent advances on how intrinsic and extrinsic timing cues interact to regulate skeletal physiology, and we discuss how emerging insights into bone circadian biology might inform therapeutic and regenerative strategies aimed at improving skeletal health.