Diploë

Diploë
Veins of the diploë as displayed by the removal of the outer table of the skull.
Details
Latin	Diploe
Vein	Diploic veins
Identifiers
Dorlands /Elsevier	c_04/12208586
TA
TH	{{#property:P1694}}
TE	{{#property:P1693}}
FMA	{{#property:P1402}}
Anatomical terminology [[[d:|edit on Wikidata]]]

Diploë (/ˈdɪploʊi/ or DIP-lo-ee) is the spongy bone structure (or tissue) of the internal part of short, irregular, and flat bones. It is found between the outer and inner tables of cortical bone.

In the cranial bones, the layers of compact tissue are familiarly known as the tables of the skull; the outer one is thick and tough; the inner is thin, dense, and brittle, and hence is termed the vitreous table. The intervening cancellous tissue is called the diploë. In certain regions of the skull this becomes absorbed so as to leave spaces filled with liquid between the two tables.

The diploe houses and protects the red bone marrow only found in hip bones, ribs, sternum, vertebrae, and ends of long bones, in adults. Its fluid-filled spaces reduce the weight of most bones, allowing them to be more easily moved and supported by skeletal muscles. It is similar to the medullary cavity in long bones.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)