Cancellous Bone
Pronunciation: kan-SEL-us
The porous, spongy inner bone tissue found within the alveolar ridge, offering lower mechanical resistance than cortical bone.
Full Definition
Cancellous bone, also called trabecular or spongy bone, constitutes the interior lattice-like structure of alveolar bone. It has a lower density than cortical bone and provides less primary stability for implants placed in predominantly cancellous sites, such as the posterior maxilla. In editorial contexts, this term appears in surgical technique articles, bone quality assessments, and graft material descriptions. Bone quality classifications (e.g., Misch D3/D4) are largely defined by the ratio and characteristics of cancellous to cortical bone. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with 'trabecular bone', though the latter more precisely describes the microarchitecture.
Usage
Usage note: Note the spelling: 'cancellous' (not 'cancelous' or 'cancerous'). Editors frequently encounter misspellings of this term in submitted manuscripts.
In Context
- "The posterior maxilla presented predominantly cancellous bone, necessitating an undersized drilling protocol to maximise primary stability." — Surgical technique article
- "Histological sections confirmed a high volume of newly formed cancellous bone within the grafted site at six months." — Histology report