The vascular system of human fetal long bones: a scanning electron microscope study of corrosion casts

Abstract

The vascular system of the femur and humerus was investigated in 17-24 wk human fetuses by scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts. The number of nutrient foramina present in both bones ranged from 1 to 3 and the number of nutrient vessels associated with individual foramina also varied. The medullary arteries supplied both the bone cortex and marrow. There was no arterial supply to the shaft cortex from the periosteal side, where only capillaries were found to enter the bone. The metaphyses were supplied and drained by conspicuous vascular triads composed of an artery and 2 veins. In the marrow cavity, 2 morphologically different areas of the fine vascular network could be distinguished: diaphyseal sinusoids and metaphyseal capillaries forming a 'vascular besom' which was abruptly demarcated by the growth plate cartilage. The cortical microvascular bed was composed of capillaries and more numerous irregular sinusoids. The 2 main vascular systems, nutrient and periosteal, were interconnected not only via the network of cortical capillaries/sinusoids, but also by larger arteries and veins traversing the cortex. The features of the vascular system of human fetal long bones suggest its considerable functional flexibility and its capacity to modify blood flow patterns depending on circumstances.