Impaired fracture healing is a clinical management challenge. Fracture healing can be impaired due to several factors, such as aging, chronic inflammation or metabolic abnormalities. Osteoclasts play a crucial role in bone tissue reconstruction, but their abnormal activation can lead to impaired fracture healing. In a recent publication in Frontiers in Immunology, researchers from Naval Military Medical University and collaborators searched for crucial regulatory genes in the process of bone fracture healing.