Bone within a bone is a descriptive term applied to bones that appear to have another bone within them. There are numerous causes including:
- normal
- thoracic and lumbar vertebrae (neonates and infants)
- growth recovery lines (after infancy)
- cortical splitting and new periostitis
- sickle cell disease/ thalassemia /Gaucher disease
- chronic osteomyelitis e.g. congenital syphilis, TB
- scurvy
- Caffey disease (infantile cortical hyperostosis)
- abnormal bone metabolism
- disordered bone growth
- heavy metal poisoning (bismuth, lead, thorium)
- hypervitaminosis D
- Thorotrast (ghost vertebrae)
-
ionizing radiation
- radiation injury
- radiotherapy
- subcortical osteopenia
- leukemia, metastases
- complex regional pain syndrome (Sudeck atrophy)
- idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis
- oxalosis (intraosseous crystal deposition)
- iatrogenic
- bone graft, subcortical bone cement
- bisphosphonates
- radiotherapy
- bone healing
- artifact
- double exposure
A useful mnemonic to remember the etiologies is GHOST DRAGON.
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