Anatomical Sensation: the New vascular system within the bone discovered

Century long-overlooked network of blood vessels

The organs of the human body are widely known – one would think. However, a German research team recently discovered a previously unknown System of fine blood vessels within our bones, that connects the bone marrow with the bone skin.

Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), of the University hospital of Essen, as well as research facilities in Erlangen, Jena, Berlin, Dresden and Bern discovered in a joint research project under the supervision of Professor Dr. Matthias Gunzer and Dr. Anja Hasenberg, a hitherto unknown blood-vessel system in our bones. The results of the research were recently published in the renowned journal “Nature Metabolism”.

Long inconsistency solved

“Each institution needs a closed blood circulation,” says Dr. Anika green boom from the University of Erlangen. While fresh blood flow through arteries in the body, will be transported via the veins used blood. How this works in the case of very hard bone, was largely unknown up to now. This mystery has now been revealed by the research team. The Interior of the bone in which the bone marrow, and the periosteum is a dense network of blood-conveying vessels.

The majority of the blood flowing through the bone!

The research group has discovered thousands of previously undocumented blood vessels in mouse bone. According to the study, this System runs through the entire skeleton. The Research vessels gave the System the name “TRANS-cortical”. The fascinating discovery is that this unknown System is to promote according to the study, more blood than the known arterial and venous blood vessels.

Previous assumptions are faulty

“The previous concepts described only a few of the arterial inflow and two venous outflow of the bone,” explains Professor Gunzer in a press release of the study results. This reflects the natural Situation in any way. It was amazing how in the 21st century. Century, can still find new anatomic structures of such magnitude, which appear so far in any single Textbook, the Professor.

Latest technology led to the discovery of

Possible this discovery was only through the use of advanced technology such as the so-called light-sheet microscopy and ultra-high resolution 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging. “Many of them were used by us for the first Time, to investigate the blood flow in bone,” stresses Gunzer. The Team showed in further studies that this TRANS-occurrence of cortical vessels in a human bone. For the investigation, study Director Gunzer placed even himself under the 7 Tesla magnetic resonance tomograph.

What is the meaning of this new discovery for medicine?