What Is a Bone Spicule?

Bone spicule is a broad term that carries different meanings based on different fields. The term is used in dental surgery, osteology and also in ophthalmology. Most people in medical fields are aware about this term because it’s usually used to describe the bony matrix in the development of a new bone.

There are chances that you might have heard about this term on your visit to a dental clinic because it’s also used to describe a dental complication related to a dental surgery. Lastly, the term is also used to describe a symptom related to an eye disease. Overall, medical students, practitioners, nurse etc, who are into vision and dental fields are the people who are most familiar with the term bone spicule. However, it’s rare to find a lay person who is aware about this term, unless he was told about it by a dentist or a physician operating him or any of his friends or relatives.

There are loads of factors cited for the cause of bone spicule. Retinitis Pigmentosa is believed to be the number one cause of bone spicule. Few other causes of bone spicule include severe Uveitis, Chorioedema, Syphilis, Rubella and Choroidal Vascular Occlusion. Now, let’s have a detailed look at some of the prime causes of bone spicule.

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a degenerative disorder. Basically, it refers to a combination of clinically alike, yet genetically heterogeneous inherited degenerative disorder. Recent market reports have unleashed the fact that the incidence of Retinitis Pigmentosa is projected to be one in nearly four thousand individuals. The fact that the incidence of Retinitis Pigmentosa is so high, it finds a first place in the list of common causes of chronic vision issues in human beings.

One of the prime symptoms of this condition is black mottling in our retinal pigment epithelium forming a shape of bone spicules. This is often referred as spicule pigmentation. Despite numerous studies on this subject, the exact nature and development of bone spicule is not correctly understood. Currently, many clinical trials related to bone spicule are being conducted to understand the nature of bone spicule better in relation to Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Formation of New Bone

Formation of new bone with the development of bony matrix is termed as bone spicules. Such bone spicule is prepared from a network of fibers and calcified deposits interwoven throughout. The fibers calcify and encloses to some osteoblasts, which eventually leads to the formation of bone spicule. This form of network develops and adds up to form a finished bone.

Dental Bone Spicules

In comparison to other bone spicules, dental bone spicule is a relatively familiar term due to the fact that one might have heard about it occasionally on their visit to a dental clinic. The term comes into picture during the dental extraction process, when a small silver bone is left behind, which is referred as bone spicules. Needless to say, the condition is very painful and can cause loads of discomfort.

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