A bone growth factor is a growth factor that stimulates the growth of bone tissue.
Known bone growth factors include insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and certain members of the growth differentiation factor (GDF) group of proteins.
Major hormones influencing bone growth and morphology include growth hormone (which acts primarily via inducing IGF-1 production), androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, and estrogens such as estradiol. GH/IGF-1 are responsible for increasing overall body size, longitudinal bone size, and height, especially during puberty. Estrogens cause the hips to widen and become rounded during puberty in females, and androgens cause the shoulders to broaden in males. Estrogens mediate epiphyseal closure in both males and females. Other hormones implicated in control of bone growth include thyroid hormone, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, glucocorticoids such as cortisol, and vitamin D (calcitriol).