Today we are talking all about bones and nerves. Did you know that babies are born with 270 bones? Of course that dwindles down to 206 by the time they're an adult, but that is still A LOT of bones for one human being! Therefore, bones are a big deal! You may already know that bones help you move (duh), store minerals, produce your blood cells, support you, protect your major organs, and store energy, but did you know that your bones are innervated? That just means that the organ or body part is supplied with nerves. Bones are living tissue, like most other parts in our bodies, so they are supplied with nerves so that they can be a part of the central nervous system. This allows our brain can pick up the signals coming from our bones and know how to keep our bones healthy and happy!
There is also the periosteum, which is a membrane that covers all bones in the body with the exception of long bones and the skull. The periosteum is two layers of connective tissue with blood vessels and nerves. These also aid in connecting the bones to the central nervous system. The periosteum can undergo a periosteal reaction. The periosteum is very sensitive and when stimulated it produces new bone. Any break, inflammation or irritation can stimulate the periosteum, and once it is stimulated to new bone growth forms. The problem that occurs is that the new growth could be benign or malignant, and doctors really have no clear way of telling. Their best guess is based on the growth rate of the lesion, or the area of the tissue damage, in correlation with the bone growth. If the lesion is growing faster than the periosteum can deposit new bone, then we have a tumor on our hands.
There is also the periosteum, which is a membrane that covers all bones in the body with the exception of long bones and the skull. The periosteum is two layers of connective tissue with blood vessels and nerves. These also aid in connecting the bones to the central nervous system. The periosteum can undergo a periosteal reaction. The periosteum is very sensitive and when stimulated it produces new bone. Any break, inflammation or irritation can stimulate the periosteum, and once it is stimulated to new bone growth forms. The problem that occurs is that the new growth could be benign or malignant, and doctors really have no clear way of telling. Their best guess is based on the growth rate of the lesion, or the area of the tissue damage, in correlation with the bone growth. If the lesion is growing faster than the periosteum can deposit new bone, then we have a tumor on our hands.