What does pain through the periosteum indicate? | The periosteum

What does pain through the periosteum indicate?

The stratum osteogenicum of the periosteum has a high proportion of nerves. Since the bone itself has no nerve fiber, the periosteum indirectly assumes an important function in the perception of pain in the bone.Pain, which is passed on through the nerve fibres of the periosteum, can have simple causes but can also indicate a serious disease. For example, pain occurs when overstraining yourself in sports. Furthermore, the so-called growth pain is not perceived by the bone, but by the nerves of the periosteum. Some forms of blood cancer, leukemia, can also cause pain through the periosteum.

Contusion of the periosteum

A bruise of the periosteum usually occurs due to the direct impact of force in the area of the bone. Areas such as the tibia, where the bone lies very superficially under the skin, are particularly at risk. This often occurs during sports.

However, it can also be caused by falls or other causes such as an accident. Since the periosteum is very well supplied by nerves, a contusion of the periosteum is usually painful. In most cases, when the periosteum is bruised, the tissue above it is also affected and shows typical signs of a contusion. In this tissue and the periosteum an oedema is formed and possibly bleeding from the blood vessels.

When does bleeding under the periosteum occur?

Bleeding under the periosteum is usually the result of a direct violent impact on the body from the blood vessels of the stratum osteogenicum. This is usually accompanied by a contusion of the periosteum. Bleeding is therefore also most frequently localized in those parts of the body where the bone lies very superficially under the skin.

Since the bleeding often causes a space requirement below the periosteum, this is very painful due to the subsequent stretching. The regression of the bleeding can take several months and cause pain even after weeks. In case of doubt, the diagnosis can be excluded by taking an X-ray.