An involucrum (plural involucra) is a layer of new
bone growth outside existing bone.
There are two main contexts:
* In
pyogenic osteomyelitis where it is a layer of living bone that has formed about dead bone. It can be identified by
radiographically
Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiati ...
(i.e., with
x-rays).
* In
cetaceans
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...
such as whales, it is a thick covering of bone over the middle-ear space.
See also
*
Sequestrum
A sequestrum (plural: sequestra) is a piece of dead bone that has become separated during the process of necrosis from normal or sound bone.
It is a complication (sequela) of osteomyelitis. The pathological process is as follows:
* infection in t ...
References
Skeletal system
{{Musculoskeletal-stub