5 - Bone structure, growth and repair Flashcards
What do I need to know?
- features of bone, types, structure
- how primary and secondary osteons are formed
- how bones undergo remodelling
- how the epiphyseal plate increases the length of the bones
- how fractures heal
What are the 4 essential features of bone?
It resists tension, pressure and torsion
Light (fresh bone feels heavy due to bone marrow)
Strong
Dynamic and can and does remodel consistently
How does it differ from other CTs?
Differs due to hydroxyapatite in the ECM that resists pressure and torsion. It is a calcium phosphate mineral that is deposited ON collagen fibrils with a crystalline structure. It is a very dense mineral so when it covers the fibrils you can’t see them
What are the three types of bone?
- Fine cancellous
In fetuses and young children where the collagen fibres are arranged in a half hazard fashion in all 3 directions (woven bone) - Coarse Cancellous
- Compact
In adults the fibrils are layed down in layers (lamellar bone)
Describe membrane bone?
Membrane bone where the bone has formed out of mesenchymal tissue (CT) and the cells take on osteogenic properties and the bone forms from NO precursor for example the flat bones of the skull
How are most of the bones in the body preceded with the exception of membrane bones?
By cartilage - this is cartilage bone. Bones are not made of cartilage and the cartilage does not turn into bone, the bone replaces the cartilage
How do the trabeculae in cancellous bone arrange themselves?
The trabeculae align themselves perpendicular to the compressive forces that arise at the compact bone at the epiphysis of the bones. The trabeculae then transmit the forces from the head of the bone to the shaft/diaphysis and distributes the forces from a wide platform in the joint onto the outside of the shaft
- they are aligned to the lines of compression in the bone
Describe a histological section of a slice of vertebral bone
- the volume of actual cancellous bone is small relative to the volume of tissue as it is very strong and don’t need much. Increases as you go down column but not much
- On the surface of compact bone is a fibrous layer 1/2 a dozen cell layers thick that are spaced far apart due to collagen called the periosteum
- thinner fibrous layer with flattened cells is endosteum that lines inside of compact bone and lines
- in COMPACT bone the larger holes are blood vessels not osteocyte lacunae
Mature bone cell? Primitive bone cells and where are they found?
Osteocytes. Osteoblasts - found mostly on the surfaces of bone in the osteogenic layers (peri/endosteum)
How does bone grow?
By appositional growth at the periosteal and endosteal surfaces
- osteoblasts divide and the progeny closest to the bone secrete and surround themselves with new bone matrix (collagen and hydroxyapatite) adding it to the existing surface of bone
- the cells then become osteocytes
- those away from the bone surface remain the peri/endosteum and will divide again
How are osteocytes linked?
By cell processes passing through canaliculi which join lacunae
How do deeper osteocytes get their nutrients?
Capillary at endosteal/periosteal surface
They receive their nutrients by the cell processes as they can’t diffuse through the dense hydroxyapatite mineral
Means the deeper cells will be most deprived
How far can nutrients pass before the last cell becomes deprived?
- 0.2mm. This means a trabeculum can be 0.4mm with a BV/endosteum on either side
- compact bone can be several mm meaning a blood supply must be enclosed WITHIN the bone
- bones are full of blood so when you fracture them you get a blood clot around the fractured surface
How do blood vessels get inside compact bone?
Two ways
- At the periosteal and endosteal(less) surface there are capillaries. As the bone grows by appositional growth the blood vessel doesn’t move and the bone grows around it (primary osteon)
- The blood vessels invade the channels in bone bored out by osteoclasts (secondary osteon)
Describe primary osteon formation
- Surface of the bone/shaft is not smooth but has ridges and grooves
- The periosteum over the ridges forms bone by appositional growth to make the ridges higher - then ridges then meet and fuse and the groove becomes a tunnel
- The periosteum of the groove now becomes the endosteum of the tunnel
- The endosteum is still active and the osteoblasts continue putting down bone matrix in a lamellar fashion until the tunnel closes just big enough for the blood vessel forming a Haversian System/Osteon
How can you see lamellae in osteons?
Under polarised light (light in one direction)
What is outer circumferential lamellae?
The outer and outer lamella of compact bone aren’t circular or in osteons because they are within 0.2mm of the BVs in the periosteum or endosteum
How do osteons get a blood supply?
Via BVs in the periosteum. These infiltrate through holes in the bone, through perpendicular Volkmann’s Canals and parallel Haversian Canals to the osteon.