Blood vessels form a versatile transport network that is best known for its critical roles in processes such as tissue oxygenation, metabolism and immune surveillance. The vasculature also provides local, often organ-specific, molecular signals that control the behaviour of other cell types in their vicinity during development, homeostasis and regeneration, and also in disease processes. In the skeletal system, the local vasculature is actively involved in both bone formation and resorption. In addition, blood vessels participate in inflammatory processes and contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases that affect the joints, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This Review summarizes the current understanding of the architecture, angiogenic growth and functional properties of the bone vasculature. The effects of ageing and pathological conditions, including arthritis and osteoporosis, are also discussed.

血管形成了一个多功能的运输网络，以其在组织氧合、新陈代谢和免疫监视等过程中的关键作用而闻名。脉管系统还提供局部的、通常是器官特异性的分子信号，这些信号在发育、体内平衡和再生以及疾病过程中控制附近其他细胞类型的行为。在骨骼系统中，局部脉管系统积极参与骨形成和骨吸收。此外，血管参与炎症过程并促成影响关节的疾病的发病机制，例如类风湿性关节炎和骨关节炎。本综述总结了目前对骨脉管系统的结构、血管生成和功能特性的理解。