| Short bone | |
|---|---|
| Latin | os breve |
Where a part of the skeleton is intended for strength and compactness combined with limited movement, it is constructed of a number of short bones, as in the carpals and tarsals. Short bones are defined as being approximately as wide as they are tall.
These consist of cancellous tissue enclosed within a thin layer of compact bone.
The patella, together with the other sesamoid bones, are by some regarded as short bones. Many short bones break more easily than large bones occurring from lack of support and extensive bone marrow. Some examples are ankle- tarsals- and wrist -carpals- bones..
There are five general classifications of bones: (1) Long bones, (2) Short bones, (3) Flat bones, (4) Irregular bones, and (5) Sesamoid bones.
References
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
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