Morphology of growing bone surfaces

The relation between bone surface patterns and the rate of bone formation and destruction was studied by observing surface sections and ground sections. The material used consisted of the dried skulls of three pigs. Observations on surface sections revealed two prinicipal types of bone surface patterns, i.e. a type characterized by smoothness and regularity and a type characterized by roughness and irregularity. Observations on corresponding ground sections revealed that these patterns represent appositional surfaces and resorptive surfaces, respectively. Within each type of surface pattern, variations occurred. As judged from the corresponding ground section, these variations might express variations in growth rates.