We provide evidence for a new pathway for osteocytogenesis via osteoblast migration.
Bone apatite appears as a stimulus for osteoblast migration inside the matrix and differentiation into early osteocytes.
We used synthetic bone-like apatite platelets in terms of structure and properties.
Osteoblasts were cultured on osteoid-like matrices in terms of collagen density, texture and 3D features.
Our results promise original models to study fundamental questions on biomineralization.