On the mechanical structure of the cancellous tissue of bone / by W.W. Wagstaffe.

  • Wagstaffe, W. W. (William Warwick), 1843-1910.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the mechanical structure of the cancellous tissue of bone / by W.W. Wagstaffe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    head of the femur a curious identity of principle will be noticed. In each case divergent curves spring from their shaft on opposite sides, interlace to form a series of gothic arches and end with evident effect or design vertically upon the parts through which pressure is to come. In the lower end of the humerus (Fig. 8), the principle of construction is somewhat complicated, owing to the shape of the joint surface. From the walls of the shaft curved fibres run across to the opposite side with their concavities towards the middle line of the bone, so as to pi’oduce by their inter- lacement a series of inverted pointed arches in the lower end of the shaft; these are in some specimens very distinct. The mass of the cancellous tissue is composed of columns which pass downwards from the spreading buttresses of the shaft, and curve with their concavity towards the middle line of the bone, so as to impinge at length vertically upon the articular surfaces below. Some enter the condyles and are here arranged with less distinctness. A set is visible running parallel with the articular surfaces, and two other sets are traceable, but less distinctly, one in each lateral half, and crossing those of each condyle obliquely. If now a section be made through one of the condyles vertically from before backwards (Fig. 9), the arrangement is Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Humerus.—Vertical section through Humerus.—Vertical section through trochlea on inner condyle. middle line between olecranon and coronoid fossse. seen to be simple, and to consist of two sets of curved fibres diverging as they pass downwards, interlacing, and termi-