Anatomy of the Bone
What is bone?
Bone is living tissue that makes up the body''s skeleton. There are three types of bone tissue, including the following:
- compact tissue - the harder, outer tissue of bones.
- cancellous tissue - the sponge-like tissue inside bones.
- subchondral tissue - the smooth tissue at the ends of bones, which is covered with another type of tissue called cartilage. Cartilage is the specialized, gristly connective tissue that is present in adults, and the tissue from which most bones develop in children.
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Together, compact and cancellous tissues are called the periosteum. Beneath the hard outer shell of the periosteum there are tunnels and canals through which blood and lymphatic vessels run to carry nourishment for the bone. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons may attach to the periosteum.
Bones are classified by their shape - as long, short, flat, and irregular. Primarily, they are referred to as long or short.
There are 206 bones in the human skeleton, not including teeth and sesamoid bones (small bones found within cartilage):
- 80 axial bones, which include the head, facial, hyoid, auditory, trunk, ribs, and sternum.
- 126 appendicular bones, which include arms, shoulders, wrists, hands, legs, hips, ankles, and feet.
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What are the functions of bone?
Bone provides shape and support for the body, as well as protection for some organs. Bone also serves as a storage site for minerals and provides the medium - marrow - for the development and storage of blood cells.
What are the different types of bone cells?
The different types of bone cells include the following:
- osteoblast - found within the bone, its function is to form the tissue and minerals that give bone its strength.
- osteoclast - a very large cell formed in bone marrow, its function is to absorb and remove unwanted tissue.
- osteocyte - found within the bone, its function is to help maintain bone as living tissue.
Fat cells and hematopoietic cells are found within the bone marrow. Hematopoietic cells are those that produce blood cells.
Because of the complexities of a bone''s function, from providing strength and support for the body, to serving as a site for development and storage of blood cells, there are many disorders and diseases that can affect bone.
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Orthopedic Cancer and Transplant Program
When it comes to treating bone cancers, experience matters. And Rush has it, with one of the Midwestęs largest and most comprehensive bone cancer treatment programs, combining leading-edge therapies with vital emotional support. Rush has the largest practice for bone and soft tissue sarcomas in Illinois and one of the nationęs largest musculoskeletal tumor programs.
Click here for more information on the Orthopedic Cancer and Transplant Program at Rush.
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Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Programs at
Rush University Medical Center in Chicago
At Rush, we offer a range of standard and investigational therapies for the treatment of cancer. We have more than a dozen programs specializing in the treatment of specific cancers, including:
Rush cancer programs are approved by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Only one in four hospitals that treat cancer receive this special approval.
Click here to visit the home page for Cancer Programs at Rush.
Cancer Screening and Prevention
Cancer screening and prevention are priorities at Rush. Through genetic testing, counseling and advanced techniques for early detection, Rush helps people with a strong history of breast, ovarian, colon and other cancers. And in our state-of-the-art mammography center, we have one of the city’s finest teams of radiologists dedicated to early detection of breast cancer.
Cancer Support Programs at Rush
Cancer is not only a physical ordeal, it is also an emotional one, affecting cancer patients, their family and friends. To help address the whole person, we offer a number of resources to help patients and their loved ones cope in this difficult time.
For information on the cancer support programs at Rush click here.
Clinical Trials
Rush offers a number of clinical trials of experimental cancer treatments. Use the links below to search for studies for a particular form of cancer. If you are interested in exploring your eligibility for one of our open trials, please call (312) 942-8312. If we do not list trials for a particular type of cancer, please feel free to call us to discuss other treatment options.
For information on cancer clinical trial programs at Rush click here.
Find a Specialist at Rush
To find a cancer specialist at Rush, click on one of the following links:
To find specialist at Rush in other cancer-related areas, click on one of the following links:
Or make an appointment with a doctor at Rush by calling our toll-free physician referral number:
To reach the hospital operator, call (312) 942-5000. If you have difficulty hearing, call (312) 942-2207 (TTY/TTD).
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Online Resources page of this Web.
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Bone Marrow Transplant
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