BONE GRAFTS

Bone is a hard strong calcified connective tissue which can withstand tensile forces of 12500 psi and compressible forces of 7000psi. Its shape and volume changes markedly in response to functional and physiologic influences. Bone is composed of two types of osseous tissues. The difference between cortical and cancellous bone lies in the size and the number of spaces within. Bone marrow fills the spaces in the cancellous bone. Yellow fatty marrow predominates in the larger cavities of the long bones while the red marrow is found in flat bones and at the articular ends of long bones. The latter contains the precursors of the formed elements of blood.