The structure of the vertebral spongiosa

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Amstutz, H. C.¹; Sissons, H. A.¹

The structure of the vertebral spongiosa

J Bone Joint Surg. August 1969;51B(3):540-550

Affiliations

¹Institute of Orthopaedics, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London
Abstract
1. The structure of the cancellous bone ofthe third lumbarvertebral body from a twenty-year-old woman who died from head injuries was studied, using serial section reconstruction techniques.
2. In addition to the construction of enlarged models from different regions of the vertebral body, measurements were made of the bone area, the surface area, and the thickness and spacing of the bony structures.
3. The vertebral spongiosa consists of a complex network of bony plates perforated by rounded openings of varying size. The plates show preferential orientation in the vertical and horizontal planes, and the amount of bone is greatest towards the upper and lower surfaces of the vertebral body.
4. The mechanical significance of the structure of the vertebral spongiosa is discussed.
Links

DOI: 10.1302/0301-620X.51B3.540

PubMed: 5820800

Cited Works (3)

Year	Entry
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Cited By (18)

Year	Entry
2001	Odgaard A. Quantification of cancellous bone architecture. In: Cowin SC, ed. Bone Mechanics Handbook. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2001:14-1–14-19.
2025	Cooper DML, Andronowski JM, Wei X, Taylor JT. Three-dimensional microstructural imaging of bone: technological developments and anthropological applications. In: Stout SD, Crowder C, eds. Bone Histology: A Biological Anthropological Perspective. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2025:393-441.
1989	Vesterby A, Gundersen H, Melsen F. Star volume of marrow space and trabeculae of the first lumbar vertebra: sampling efficiency and biological variation. Bone. 1989;10(1):7-13.
1990	Vesterby A. Star volume of marrow space and trabeculae in iliac crest: sampling procedure and correlation to star volume of first lumbar vertebra. Bone. 1990;11(3):149-155.
1991	Vesterby A, Mosekilde L, Gundersen HJG, Melsen F, Mosekilde L, Holme K, Sørensen S. Biologically meaningful determinants of the in vitro strength of lumbar vertebrae. Bone. 1991;12(3):219-224.
1997	Odgaard A. Three-dimensional methods for quantification of cancellous bone architecture. Bone. 1997;20(4):315-328.
2001	Banse X, Devogelaer JP, Munting E, Delloye C, Cornu O, Grynpas M. Inhomogeneity of human vertebral cancellous bone: systematic density and structure patterns inside the vertebral body. Bone. 2001;28(5):563-571.
2002	Thomsen JS, Ebbesen EN, Mosekilde L. Zone-dependent changes in human vertebral trabecular bone: clinical implications. Bone. May 2002;30(5):664-669.
1988	Bergot C, Laval-Jeantet A-M, Prêteux F, Meunier A. Measurement of anisotropic vertebral trabecular bone loss during aging by quantitative image analysis. Calcif Tiss Int. September 1988;43(3):143-149.
1987	Aaron JE, Makins NB, Sagreiya K. The microanatomy of trabecular bone loss in normal aging men and women. Clin Orthop Relat Res. February 1987;215:260-271.
1971	Whitehouse WJ, Dyson ED, Jackson CK. The scanning electron microscope in studies of trabecular bone from a human vertebral body. J Anat. April 1971;108(3):481-496.
1978	Singh I. The architecture of cancellous bone. J Anat. October 1978;127(2):305-310.
2003	Patel V, Issever AS, Burghardt A, Laib A, Ries M, Majumdar S. MicroCT evaluation of normal and osteoarthritic bone structure in human knee specimens. J Orthop Res. 2003;21(1):6-13.
1998	Gordon CL, Lang TF, Augat P, Genant HK. Image-based assessment of spinal trabecular bone structure from high-resolution CT images. Osteoporos Int. August 1998;8(4):317-325.
1996	Gordon CL, Webber CE, Adachi JD, Christoforou N. In vivo assessment of trabecular bone structure at the distal radius from high-resolution computed tomography images. Phys Med Biol. March 1996;41(3):495-508.
2001	Grant JP, Oxland TR, Dvorak MF. Mapping the structural properties of the lumbosacral vertebral endplates. Spine. April 15, 2001;26(8):889-896.
2010	Laffosse J-M, Kinkpe C, Gomez-Brouchet A, Accadbled F, Viguier E, Sales de Gauzy J, Swider P. Micro-computed tomography study of the subchondral bone of the vertebral endplates in a porcine model: correlations with histomorphometric parameters. Surg Radiol Anat. 2010;32(4):335-341.
2014	Colombo A. La micro-architecture de l’os trabéculaire en croissance: Variabilité tridimensionnelle normale et pathologique analysée par microtomodensitométrie [PhD thesis]. Université de Bordeaux; December 15, 2014.