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bone marrow aspiration and biopsy

(bone MAYR-oh AS-pih-RAY-shun ... BY-op-see)
A procedure in which a small sample of bone marrow (soft, sponge-like tissue in the center of most bones) and bone is removed. A small area of skin and the surface of the bone underneath are numbed with an anesthetic. Then a special wide needle is pushed into the bone. A sample of liquid bone marrow is removed with a syringe attached to the needle. The syringe is then removed and the needle is rotated to remove a sample of the bone and the bone marrow. Both the bone marrow and bone samples are sent to a laboratory to be looked at under a microscope.
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy; drawing shows a patient lying face down on a table and a bone marrow needle being inserted into the hip bone. An inset shows a close up of the needle being inserted through the skin and hip bone into the bone marrow.Enlarge this image in new window
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. After a small area of skin is numbed, a long, hollow needle is inserted through the patient's skin and hip bone into the bone marrow. A sample of bone marrow and a small piece of bone are removed for examination under a microscope.
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