Predict what would happen if during an accident the perioste

Predict what would happen if during an accident the periosteum and the muscle were removed from a side of a long bone that is broken.

Solution

Bone is a connective tissue containing matrix composed of calcium phosphate and other minerals. The osseous tissue is a single component of bone but also may contain other components like blood, bone marrow, cartilage, adipose tissue, nervous tissue and fibrous connective tissue. Therefore, bone is an organ composed of all these components.

A bone is composed of an outer shell of dense white osseous tissue called compact or dense bone. The shell encloses a space known as marrow cavity or medullary cavity containing bone marrow. At the end of the bone the osseous tissue is loosely arranged and is called spongy or cancellous bone. The long bone contains a shaft called diaphysis and an expanded head called epiphysis. An epiphyseal plate of hyaline cartilage separates the marrow cavities of epiphysis and diaphysis.

The bone is covered with a sheath called periosteum. It contains a tough outer fibrous layer made up of collagen and inner osteogenic layer containing bone forming cells. Some collagen fibers continue with tendons which bind the muscle to the bone.

Some collagen fibers penetrate into bone matrix forming perforating fibers. The osteogenic layer is the growth zone and is important in bone growth and healing of fractures. The blood vessels from the periosteum penetrate into the bone through minute pores called nutrient foramina. The internal surface of the bone is lined with a thin layer of reticular connective tissue called endosteum. The cells in this tissue deposit to the osseous tissue and the other cells dissolve it.

If the periosteum is removed along with the muscle from the side of long bone, the blood vessels and fibrous connective tissue of periosteum are damaged resulting in stop of blood and nutrient supply. This may inturn leads to necrosis of the bone and is condition known as osteonecrosis.