The interior portion of the bone which has a porous, sponge-like structure.

bone tissue arranged in a meshwork of thin plates or beams that is commonly found at the center of long bones and that composes a large part of the hip and vertebrae; also called cancellous bone or spongy bone.

One of two types of bone in the skeleton, the other type being cortical bone. Trabeculare bone represents 20% of the skeletal mass, but 80% of the bone surface. Trabecular bone is less dense, more elastic and has a higher turnover rate than cortical bone. Trabelcular bone constitutes most of the bone tissue of the axial skeleton: bones of the skull, ribs and spine. It is formed in an intricate and structural mesh. Trabecular bone forms the interior scaffolding, which helps bone to maintain their shape despite compressive forces. [See: Fluoride's Differential Impact on Bone Density

The central portion of the lumbar vertebrae is comprised of trabecular (cancellous) bone. Density measurements are performed in trabecular bone because it has the highest rate of bone mineral turnover and therefore is the most accurate location for measurement of bone mass.

The porous, spongy inner layer of bone; may be affected by osteoporosis before cortical bone.

Spongy bone; cancellous bone