General Concepts of Bones and Joints

Vocabulary flashcards covering osteology, bone classification, chemical composition, internal and external anatomy of long bones, and ossification processes based on the lecture notes.

Osteology

The study of bones.

Skeleton

A group of bones that serves for support, protection, and providing levers for muscular action and movement.

Organic compounds of bone

Comprising approx. $33\%$ ($1/3$) of bone, this component consists mostly of collagen and provides the bone's shape.

Inorganic components of bone

Comprising approx. $67\%$ ($2/3$) of bone, these mineral components include Calcium ($39\%$), Phosphate ($17\%$), Carbonate ($9.8\%$), Sodium ($0.7\%$), Magnesium ($0.5\%$), and Potassium ($0.2\%$).

Greenstick fracture

A condition where the compact bone is cracked or bent, typically seen in young animals because their bones have more collagen relative to minerals.

Axial skeleton

A topographic classification of bones located on the axis of the body, including the skull, hyoid, vertebral column ($50$ bones), ribs, and sternum ($34$ bones).

Appendicular skeleton

Bones associated with the limbs, including the thoracic limb ($90$ bones) and the pelvic limb ($96$ bones).

Heterotopic skeleton (Splanchnic)

Bones that form within soft organs, such as the os penis found in dogs.

Long bones

Bones typical of the limbs that possess a medullary cavity and three centers of ossification: one for the shaft (diaphysis) and one for each extremity (epiphysis).

Short bones

Bones where no dimension greatly exceeds the others and there is no medullary cavity; mainly found in the carpus and tarsus.

Flat bones

Bones expanded in two directions without a medullary cavity, such as those found in the skull or the ribs.

Pneumatic bones

Bones excavated to contain air-filled spaces; in mammals, these are confined to the skull and contain paranasal sinuses.

Irregular bones

Bones that do not fit into other shape classifications, such as the vertebrae.

Diaphysis

The body or shaft of a long bone.

Epiphysis

The extremities of a long bone, categorized as proximal or distal.

Physis (Growth plate)

A cartilaginous plate located between the diaphysis and epiphysis in young animals that allows for bone elongation.

Metaphysis

The region of a long bone adjacent to the physis that is often the site of fractures, tumors, or infections.

Compact bone (Cortex)

The dense outer layer of bone which is thick in the diaphysis and thin in the epiphysis.

Spongy bone

Internal bone tissue found in the epiphysis and the center of other bone types, characterized by a porous appearance and occupied by bone marrow.

Nutrient foramen

An opening in the bone that allows the nutrient artery to penetrate toward the middle of the diaphysis to provide blood supply.

Periosteum

A dense fibrous membrane covering the outer surfaces of bones, except where they are covered by articular cartilage.

Endosteum

A thin vascular membrane that lines the inner medullary cavities, trabeculae of spongy bone, and central canals.

Red bone marrow

A richly vascularized, gelatinous tissue with hemopoietic properties found in the medullary cavity of young animals and the spongy bone of adults.

Yellow bone marrow

Bone marrow with inactive hemopoietic potential due to high fat content, typically replacing red marrow as an animal ages.

Trochanter

A type of bone elevation or eminence found only on the femur for the insertion of muscle tendons.

Endochondral ossification

The process of bone development from an initial cartilage model that is resorbed while serving as a matrix for bone formation.

Intramembranous ossification

A process where bone forms directly within a sheet of connective tissue (membrane) without a cartilage model, typical of many flat bones of the skull.

Primary center of ossification

The initial site of mineralization in a bone model, located in the diaphysis and occurring before birth.

Secondary center of ossification

Centers of mineralization located in the epiphysis and large eminences that typically appear after birth.

Sesamoid bones

Small, seed-shaped bones embedded inside tendons, such as the patella, which help reduce tension.