Everyday activities may cause microdamage in bones that is repaired through continuous remodeling. An imbalance in this remodeling process caused by abnormal mechanical demands, fatigue or disease, may predispose bone to more pronounced fracture injuries. The remodeling process is generally viewed as a material response to functional demands that is governed by an intricate relationship between bone reinforcement and resorption. Here, we analyze the competition between damage and internal remodeling in bones. The analysis is based on a consistent thermodynamic framework of bone remodeling, involving a chemical reaction and mass transfer in the presence of microcracks.