Bone Marrow Volume in Rabbits.

Abstract

Only a few papers pertaining to bone marrow volume can be found in medical literature. Töppich determined the bone marrow volume or mass of 2 newly born infants and found that it was equivalent to approximately 2.3% of the body weight. He employed a method previously described by Wetzel, in which the marrow volume was calculated from the dried weight of the skeleton, the total gross volume of the skeleton and the specific gravity of bone. As infant bone marrow consists practically entirely of red marrow, this figure represented the functioning mass. Wetzel later reported a red marrow volume of 1419 cc. in the skeleton of a 20-year-old man. Mechanik determined the marrow volume in 13 adult cadavers, using a method based upon the weights of the bones before and after maceration. The marrow mass varied from 1600 to 3700 gm., with an average figure of 2600 gm. He believed the red and yellow portions of the marrow were about equal, giving an average value of about 1300 gm. to the active portion, equivalent to approximately 2.3% of the body weight. Since some idea of the bone marrow volume in rabbits was required in certain experimental work and since no figures could be found other than those relating to human marrow, 2 normal rabbits were killed and marrow volume determinations made with the results indicated below. The method used was essentially that employed by Töppich. The rabbits were killed by the intravenous injection of ether. The soft parts were cut away as cleanly as possible and the skeletons were covered with water and placed in an incubator (37.5°C). The water was changed twice a day.