intramedullære

Intramedullary is an anatomical term used to describe something located within the medullary cavity of a bone—the central marrow-filled space inside the shafts of long bones. The medullary cavity contains bone marrow and is surrounded by cortical bone. The term is used in several medical contexts to distinguish processes inside the bone from those outside (extramedullary).

In orthopedics, intramedullary fixation involves inserting a rod or nail into the medullary canal to stabilize fractures, especially of the femur, tibia, and humerus. Advantages include central alignment and load sharing, which can facilitate early mobilization; disadvantages include infection risk, fat embolism, reaming-related complications, and potential damage to growth plates in children.

In other settings, intramedullary administration refers to delivering drugs or cells directly into the bone marrow space, used selectively in hematologic or orthopedic procedures. Intramedullary tumors describe lesions that arise within the spinal cord (intramedullary spinal cord tumors) or within the bone marrow cavity; management depends on tumor type and location and may include surgery, radiotherapy, or systemic therapy.

Diagnosis and monitoring rely on imaging such as X-ray, CT, and MRI to assess intramedullary involvement and guide treatment decisions.