Haversian Canals

Haversian canals

Haversian canals are canals in the ground substance of bone through which blood vessels and nerves pass.

These canals are named after the English surgeon and anatomist John Havers, who first described them in 1691. Haversian canals play an important role in providing blood supply and innervation to bone tissue.

The ground substance of bone consists of dense bone tissue and has few blood vessels. The Haversian canals form a system of passages in the ground substance through which blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerve fibers pass. Thus, these channels allow the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to bone tissue cells, as well as innervation of the bone.

The number and location of the Haversian canals varies in different bones. Most of them are in the long tubular bones of the limbs. The canals are located predominantly along the axis of the bone. Their diameter ranges from 10 to 400 microns.

Haversian canals play an important role in the processes of bone tissue regeneration. When a bone is fractured, blood supply is restored through these channels, which is necessary for healing. Osteoblasts, which are responsible for the formation of new bone tissue, also enter through the Haversian canals.

Thus, the Haversian canals perform a significant function of transporting blood, nutrients and nerve impulses deep into the dense ground substance of the bone. They are necessary for normal functioning and regeneration of bone tissue.