Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Cortical
bone
Periosteal
vein
Longitudinal
cortical
capillary
(Haversian)
Male nutrient
artery and
vein
Radial
branches
of nutrient
artery
Emissary
vein
Central
venous
sinus
Marrow
sinusoid
Medullary
branch of
fibrous
artery
Arteriolar
branches
to sinusoids
Figure 9.1
Schematic diagram showing the vascular ar-
rangement in the long bone diaphysis. (Modified from
Williams
et al
.[9].)
The blood supply to cortical bone may come from either the medullary canal
(younger animals) or the periosteum (older humans) (Figure 9.4). The transcortical
blood supply transits in the Volkmann canals and the longitudinal blood supply
transits in Haversian systems or osteons. Haversian arteries run longitudinally
in osteons (Haversian systems), oriented roughly about 15
◦
to the long axis of a
bone (Figure 9.5). Human cortical bone is largely Haversian at a rather young
age compared to other animals. The thin-walled vessels in the cortical canals
of Haversian and Volkmann canals are contained in hard unyielding canals in
the cortical bone and serve to connect the arterioles (the afferent system) with the
