Involucrum Explained

An involucrum (plural involucra) is a layer of new bone growth outside existing bone.

There are two main contexts:

• In pyogenic osteomyelitis where it is a layer of living bone that has formed about dead bone.^[1] It can be identified by radiographically (i.e., with x-rays).
• In cetaceans such as whales, it is a thick covering of bone over the middle-ear space.^{[2] [3]}

See also

• Sequestrum

Notes and References

1. Radiographic Imaging in Osteomyelitis: The Role of Plain Radiography, Computed Tomography, Ultrasonography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Scintigraphy . Semin Plast Surg . 23 . 2 . 080–089 . May 2009 . 10.1055/s-0029-1214160 . 20567730 . 2884903 . Pineda . Carlos . Espinosa . Rolando . Pena . Angelica .
2. Web site: Science Word of the Day: Involucrum . https://web.archive.org/web/20181030035508/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2015/01/05/science-word-of-the-day-involucrum/ . dead . October 30, 2018 . National Geographic . 29 October 2018. 2015-01-05 .
3. Switek . Brian . How Did Whales Evolve? . Smithsonian . 1 December 2010 . 30 October 2018.