WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEALTHY BONE AND CHONDROSARCOMA?

In order to understand chondrosarcoma, it is useful to know about normal bone tissue.

What is normal bone tissue?

Bone is the supporting framework of the body protecting internal organs which support the muscles. A medical word for bone is osteo. A medical word for cartilage is chondro.

New bone is constantly forming, and old bone is constantly dissolving and contains two kinds of cells to do this. The cells that form new bone are called osteoblasts. The cells that dissolve bone are called osteoclasts. Bone is constantly regenerating. Although slower after age thirty five.

Most bones are not made of solid bone all the way through. Adult bones are made up of three types of tissue called compact, cancellous and subchondral.

What is compact bone tissue?

The hard, outer portion of most bones consists of fibrous tissue which creates the base onto which calcium is deposited. This is what makes the most solid part of the bone.

What is cancellous bone tissue?

Cancellous tissue is the spongy part inside the bones that contains bone marrow. Most people think of this part of the bone as "hollow." But, it is not. The marrow of some bones consists only of fatty tissue. The marrow of other bones is a mixture of fat cells and blood-forming cells where they are created and stored until ready to move into the bloodstream. There are some small amount of other cells, too.

What is subchondral tissue?

Subchondral tissue is the smooth bone of the joints where a layer of cartilage covers each end of the bone to cushion the joint movement. This is where chondrosarcoma usually arises.

Cartilage consists of a fibrous tissue mixed with a gel-like substance, and does not contain calcium. The only kind of cells in cartilage are known as chondrocytes.

What is abnormal bone growth?

Abnormal bone growth can result in bone deformities, lesions or tumors. There are several different types of bone tumors. The names are based on the area of bone or surrounding tissue that is affected, and the kind of cells forming the tumor. Most primary bone tumors are benign (not cancerous).

Benign bone tumors:

Benign bone tumors do not spread to other tissues and are not life-threatening. Types of benign bone tumors include osteoma, osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, osteochondroma, (also known as exostoses), enchondroma, hemangioma, and chondromyxoid fibroma. Sometimes these may be treated by surgery if they cause problems.

There are other types of malignant bone tumors aside from chondrosarcoma that are also sarcomas. Sarcomas are cancers that mostly develop from bone, cartilage, muscle, fibrous tissue, fatty tissue, or nerve tissue and are identified according to which tissue is rapidly growing.

For better understanding of medical words, go to google and type in DEFINE: and add the word you are seeking (yes, use DEFINE: all in caps with the colon afterward, then skip a space and add the word you want defined.)

For example:
DEFINE: Osteoclast

References:


Skeletal System

Cartilage and Bone

Skeletal Maintenance   
Bone Markers

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