When 1 first developed an interest in the pathology of bone 1 found that there were relatively few books on the subject available. Much of my information had either to be obtained from searching the journals or from senior colleagues in the field, who, 1 should add, were always more than willing to teach me. With this memory in mind, 1 have endeavoured to produce a book which 1 hope is of a convenient size and yet will hold sufficient information to be of use mainly to the pathologist faced with a bone problem. This is not intended to be an all-embracing source of knowledge on the subject; indeed, such a task could not be undertaken by a single author in these days of the rapid increase in information even in small subspecialist areas within bone pathology. Although this book is written mainly for the pathologist, it is hoped that it may also be of interest and value to orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatolog­ ists and radiologists. Most of the illustrations are original and many of the drawings are my own. There has been a long tradition of interest in bone pathology at The London Hospital, which has resulted in a wealth of material being available to me from the archives of the Department of Morbid Anatomy. A few of the photo­ graphs are those of Prof. H. Turnbull; the observant reader will detect these, since the scales used are not metric.

1. Normal Bone.- Structure of bones.- Histological types of bone.- Normal development of the skeleton.- Growth plate.- Mineralisation of bone.- Origin of bone cells.- Cells in bone.- Bone resorption.- Control of bone cell function.- References.- 2. Abnormal Development of the Skeletal System.- The chondrodysplasias.- Osteogenesis imperfecta.- Osteopetrosis.- Some other forms of abnormal skeletal development.- References.- 3. Inborn Biochemical Disorders of Metabolism.- The mucopolysaccharidoses.- The mucolipidoses.- The sphingolipidoses.- References.- 4. Quantitative Methods in Bone Biopsy Examination.- Bone biopsy.- Basic principles of measurement.- Measurements made and terms used in bone morphometry.- Normal values.- Variation and reproducibility.- Semi-automatic and automatic methods in bone quantitation.- Comparison of methods used in bone quantitation.- References.- 5. Metabolic Bone Disease.- Vitamin D metabolism.- Parathyroid hormone.- Primary hyperparathyroidism.- Secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism.- Hypoparathyroidism.- Psuedohypoparathyroidism.- Osteomalacia and rickets.- Renal osteodystrophy.- Calcitonin.- The bones and other hormones.- References.- 6. Paget's Disease of Bone.- Clinical features.- Radiological appearances.- Morbid anatomy and histopathology.- Aetiology.- Ultrastructural studies.- References.- 7. Hyperostosis.- Ankylosing hyperostosis of the spine (diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis).- Hyperostosis frontalis interna.- Melorheostosis.- Fluorosis.- Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy.- References.- 8. Osteoporosis and Bone Atrophy.- Clinical features.- Involutional osteoporosis.- Histomorphometry.- Osteoporosis in the young.- Immobilisation osteoporosis.- Corticosteroid-induced osteopenia.- Localised bone loss.- Disappearing bonedisease.- References.- 9. Necrosis and Healing in Bone.- Fractures and fracture healing.- Pathological fractures.- Stress or fatigue fractures.- Bone grafts.- Reactions of bone adjacent to joint prostheses and other implants.- Necrosis of bone.- Perthes disease (Legg-Calve-Perthes disease).- Effects of electrical stimulation on healing in bone.- References.- 10. Infection of Bone.- Osteomyelitis in children.- Adult osteomyelitis.- Osteomyelitis in drug addicts.- Osteomyelitis and haemoglobinopathy: salmonella infection.- Osteomyelitis caused by direct spread of organisms.- Radiological appearances of osteomyelitis.- Pathology of osteomyelitis.- Tuberculosis.- Other organisms.- Brucellosis.- Leprosy.- Treponemal infections.- Fungi and actinomycosis.- Parasitic disease.- Viral infections.- References.- 11. Bone Tumours and Tumour-like Conditions.- Classification of bone tumours.- General approach to bone tumour pathology.- Clinical features.- Radiological features.- Histopathological diagnosis.- Particular types of bone tumour.- Cartilaginous tumours.- Bone-forming tumours.- Giant cell tumour.- Malignant fibrous tumours.- Round cell tumours.- References.