Quick Facts
Periosteal nerves are nociceptive and transmit pain signals to the central nervous system.
Related parts of the anatomy
Structure/Morphology
The periosteal nerves are a network of nerves located between the two layers of the periosteum, the fibrous layer and the osteogenic layer.
Anatomical Relations
In cortical bone, the periosteal nerves follow a similar path to the periosteal blood vessels. They form plexuses between the layers of the periosteum before branching into the underlying compact bone below via perforating canals.
Function
Periosteal nerves are mainly sensory nerves that transmit pain signals. Due to the presence of sensory receptors, the fibrous layer of periosteum is the most pain-sensitive area of bone, which can be caused by a number of factors including trauma and osteoarthritis (Standring, 2016).
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series: Elsevier Limited.
