NUTRITION OF OSTEOCYTES IN DIAPHYSES
The osteocytes of the diaphyses do not reside close to arterias and veins that could provide them with foodstuff and oxygen and return blood to the body circulation. On this page will analyse how nutrients and oxygen reach the osteocytes.
Some features of the blood circulation in the wall of diaphyses were shown on the figure of page 7-16, reproduced below.
The other figure contains a cros-section of a Haversian system surrounded by flat bone lamellae. The small dark spots are lacunae inhabited by osteocytes.
Interestingly this figure shows many dark stained lines in both, the Haversian system and lamellae. They are bone canaliculi that contain extensions of osteocyte cell bodies that comunicate with extension of other osteocytes.
Observing the Haversian system it becomes very evident that all canaliculi are directed toward the central canal of the system. Thye conduct to the osteocytes nutrients left inside the canal by the blood vessels.
Notice that the canaliculi of the flat lamellae are directed towards the from the extracellular space, from where they obtain nutrients for the osteocytes.
