What is the Difference Between Cancellous and Cortical Bone?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Cancellous and cortical bones are two types of osseous tissues that make up the human skeleton, and they have distinct structures and functions. Here are the main differences between them:
- Density and Structure: Cortical bone is dense and contains less than 10% soft tissue, while cancellous bone is made up of trabecules shaped as plates or rods interspersed between bone marrow, representing more than 75% of the cancellous bone volume. Cancellous bone is less dense, softer, weaker, and less stiff than cortical bone.
- Function: Cortical bones provide strength and protection to bones, supporting the whole body weight, protecting organs, providing levers for movement, and storing and releasing calcium. Cancellous bones, on the other hand, have a higher surface area and are ideal for metabolic activity, such as the exchange of calcium ions. They also produce red blood cells and white granular corpuscles in their bone marrow.
- Distribution: Cortical bones make up most of the skeletal system (up to 80%), while the rest is cancellous bones (roughly 20%). Cortical bone forms a protective layer around the internal cavity of bones, while cancellous bone typically occurs at the ends of long bones.
- Microscopic Appearance: Microscopically, both cortical and cancellous bones are identical, consisting of an extracellular matrix composed mainly of type 1 collagen.
- Vascularity: Cancellous bone is highly vascular, frequently containing red bone marrow where hematopoiesis, the production of blood cells, occurs. In osteoporosis, cancellous bone is more severely affected than cortical bone.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Cancellous and Cortical Bone? Comparative Table: Cancellous vs Cortical Bone
Comparative Table: Cancellous vs Cortical Bone
Here is a table comparing the differences between cancellous and cortical bone:
Feature | Cancellous Bone | Cortical Bone |
---|---|---|
Also known as | Spongy or trabecular bone | Compact bone |
Location | Found mainly in the axial skeleton, at the ends of long bones, and in vertebral bodies | Found on the outer surface of bones |
Structure | Light, porous, and spongy, made up of trabeculae | Dense and smooth, made up of osteons |
Bone Marrow | Produces red blood corpuscles and white granular corpuscles | Stores fat |
Lamellae | Lamellae are parallel to one another | Lamellae are arranged concentrically around the Haversian systems |
Function | Provides shock absorption and is responsible for weight-bearing | Provides strength and protection to bones, able to bear the weight of the body |
In summary, cancellous bone is a light, porous bone found mainly in the axial skeleton, while cortical bone is dense and found on the outer surface of bones. Cancellous bone has parallel lamellae and produces red blood cells and white granular cells, while cortical bone has concentric lamellae and stores fat.
Read more:
- Trabecular vs Cortical Bone
- Compact vs Cancellous Bone
- Cortical vs Cancellous Screw
- Compact Bone vs Spongy Bone
- Bone vs Cartilage
- Bone Mass vs Bone Density
- Cementocytes vs Osteocytes
- Basal Bone vs Alveolar Bone
- Lacunae vs Osteocytes
- Osteoblasts vs Osteoclasts
- Osteoblasts vs Osteocytes
- Renal Cortex vs Renal Medulla
- Osteon vs Osteocyte
- Chondrocytes vs Osteocytes
- Lamellae vs Lacunae
- Calcification vs Ossification
- Cortical Nephron vs Juxtamedullary Nephron
- Periosteum vs Endosteum
- Endochondral Ossification vs Intramembranous Ossification