Medullary cavity
| Medullary Cavity | |
|---|---|
 A long bone, with medullary cavity labeled near center. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | cavitas medullaris |
| TA | A02.0.00.037 |
| FMA | 83698 |
The medullary cavity (medulla, innermost part) is the central cavity of bone shafts where red bone marrow and/or yellow bone marrow (adipose tissue) is stored; hence, the medullary cavity is also known as the marrow cavity. Located in the main shaft of a long bone (diaphysis) (consisting mostly of compact bone), the medullary cavity has walls composed of spongy bone (cancellous bone) and is lined with a thin, vascular membrane (endosteum). However, the medullary cavity is the area inside any bone (long, flat, etc.) that holds the bone marrow.[1]
This area is involved in the formation of red blood cells and white blood cells, and the calcium supply for bird eggshells.
Intramedullary is a medical term meaning the inside of a bone. Examples include intramedullary rods used to treat bone fractures in orthopedic surgery and intramedullary tumors occurring in some forms of cancer or benign tumors such as an enchondroma.
References
- ↑ Martini F., & Nath J. L. (2009). Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology 8e. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education Inc.