bone marrow aspiration The removal of a small amount of liquid bone marrow through a needle. The needle is placed through the top layer of bone, and a liquid sample containing bone marrow cells is obtained through the needle by sucking (aspirating) it into a syringe. The suction causes pain for a few moments. Bone…
bone marrow The soft blood-forming tissue that fills the cavities of bones and contains fat and immature and mature blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Diseases or drugs that affect the bone marrow can affect the total counts of these cells.
bone density See bone mineral density.
bone cyst, simple A solitary fluid-filled cavity (cyst) in a bone, usually in the shaft of a long bone, especially the humerus, in a child. A simple bone cyst can cause pain in or near the bone. Also known as unicameral bone cyst and solitary bone cyst.
bone cyst, aneurysmal A benign lesion in a bone that contains connective tissue and blood inside a thin bony shell. Aneurysmal bone cysts act like tumors and expand the bone, and they typically occur in the second decade of life. They can affect any bone in the arms, legs, trunk, or skull.
bone cancer A malignancy of bone. Primary bone cancer (cancer that begins in bone) is rare, but it is not unusual for cancers to metastasize (spread) to bone from other parts of the body, such as the breast, lung, and prostate. The most common type of primary bone cancer is osteosarcoma, which develops in new…
bone, shin The larger of the two bones in the lower leg. The shin bone is anatomically known as the tibia. Its smaller companion is the fibula.
bone, sesamoid A little bone that is embedded in a joint capsule or tendon; for example, the kneecap (patella).
bone, heel See calcaneus.
bone, cuboid The outer bone in the instep of the foot. It is called the cuboid bone because it is shaped like a cube. The cuboid bone is jointed in back with the heel bone (calcaneus) and in front with the bones just behind the fourth and fifth toes (metatarsals).
bone, breast See sternum.
bone The hard connective tissue that forms the skeleton of the body. It is composed chiefly of collagen fibers that contain calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Bones also serve as a storage area for calcium, playing a large role in calcium balance in the blood. The 206 bones in the human body serve a wide…