Cancellous bone

Cancellous bone, synonymous with trabecular bone or spongy bone, is one of two types of osseous tissue that form bones. Compared to compact bone, which is the other type of osseous tissue, it has a higher surface area but is less dense, softer, weaker, and less stiff. It typically occurs at the ends of long bones, proximal to joints and within the interior of vertebrae. Cancellous bone is highly vascular and frequently contains red bone marrow where hematopoiesis, the production of blood cells, occurs. The primary anatomical and functional unit of cancellous bone is the trabecula.

Its Latin name is substantia spongiosa or substantia spongiosa ossium. The words cancellous and trabecular refer to the tiny lattice-shaped spicules that form the tissue. It was first illustrated accurately in the engravings of Crisóstomo Martinez.