Which term is the shaft of a long bone?

Which term is the shaft of a long bone?

• A. Diaphysis
• B. Epiphysis
• C. Endosteum
• D. Haversian canal

Answer: (A)

The shaft of a long bone is the diaphysis. This central, cylindrical section runs between the ends (the epiphyses) and provides most of the bone’s length and strength. It’s typically solid compact bone on the outside with a hollow medullary cavity inside, which is lined by the endosteum and houses bone marrow. The ends are the epiphyses, containing spongy bone and forming joints with other bones. The Haversian canal is a microscopic feature within compact bone’s osteons that carries blood vessels and nerves, not the shaft itself.

The shaft of a long bone is the diaphysis. This central, cylindrical section runs between the ends (the epiphyses) and provides most of the bone’s length and strength. It’s typically solid compact bone on the outside with a hollow medullary cavity inside, which is lined by the endosteum and houses bone marrow. The ends are the epiphyses, containing spongy bone and forming joints with other bones. The Haversian canal is a microscopic feature within compact bone’s osteons that carries blood vessels and nerves, not the shaft itself.