Book excerpt: This updated edition is a comprehensive treatise that spans the complete range of basic biochemistry of bone and cartilage components to the clinical evaluation of disease markers in bone and joint disorders. With contributions from over 75 international experts, Dynamics of Bone and Cartilage Metabolism, Second Edition, is indispensable reading for those involved in skeletal research as well as for rheumatologists, endocrinologists, clinical biochemists, and other clinical disciplines participating in the management of patients with bone and cartilage diseases. Part I provides an up-to-date account of current knowledge of the structure, biosynthesis and molecular biology of the major tissue components Part II covers the organizational structure and cellular metabolism of bone and cartilage Part III deals with the utility of components specific to bone and cartilage as biomarkers of health and disease