Volkmann's canals, also known as perforating holes or channels, are anatomic arrangements in
cortical bones that allow blood vessels to enter the bones from
periosteum
The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones, except at the articular surfaces (i.e. the parts within a joint space) of long bones. (At the joints of long bones the bone's outer surface is lined with "articular cartila ...
. They interconnect the
Haversian canals (running inside
osteon
In osteology, the osteon or haversian system (; named for Clopton Havers) is the fundamental functional unit of much compact bone. Osteons are roughly cylindrical structures that are typically between 0.25 mm and 0.35 mm in diameter. Thei ...
s) with each other and the periosteum. They usually run at obtuse angles to the Haversian canals (which run the length of the bone) and contain
anastomosing vessels between haversian capillaries. They were named after German physiologist
Alfred Volkmann (1800–1878).
The perforating canals, with the blood vessels, provide energy and nourishing elements for osteons.
Additional images
File:Osso por Descalcificação – HE – 40x.JPG, Bone by decalcification (40x):
File:Osso por Descalcificação2 – HE – 100x.JPG, Bone by decalcification (100x):
References
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Skeletal system
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