Cancellous bone is best described as which type of bone tissue?

Cancellous bone is best described as which type of bone tissue?

• A. Compact bone
• B. Spongy bone
• C. Dense bone
• D. Cortical bone

Answer: (B)

Cancellous bone is the spongy, porous interior of bone, built from a lattice of trabeculae. This meshwork creates a light yet strong structure that fills the ends of long bones and the centers of vertebral bodies, where large surface area and vascular access are important. The spaces within this network host bone marrow and small vessels, supporting metabolic activity and rapid remodeling in response to mechanical forces. Because it is porous and organized as a trabecular network rather than a dense, solid mass, cancellous bone is described as spongy or trabecular bone. In contrast, the outer shell of bone is dense cortical (compact) bone with a solid, lamellar pattern and osteons. The key idea is that cancellous bone is the interior, spongy part, not the dense exterior.

Cancellous bone is the spongy, porous interior of bone, built from a lattice of trabeculae. This meshwork creates a light yet strong structure that fills the ends of long bones and the centers of vertebral bodies, where large surface area and vascular access are important. The spaces within this network host bone marrow and small vessels, supporting metabolic activity and rapid remodeling in response to mechanical forces. Because it is porous and organized as a trabecular network rather than a dense, solid mass, cancellous bone is described as spongy or trabecular bone. In contrast, the outer shell of bone is dense cortical (compact) bone with a solid, lamellar pattern and osteons. The key idea is that cancellous bone is the interior, spongy part, not the dense exterior.