The soft material in the center of bones is the bone marrow. In some bones, the bone marrow consists only of fat. Other bones contain what is termed cellular marrow. The cellular marrow has different types of cells that give rise to red cells, white cells and platelets for our blood. The marrow may also contain abnormal cells, proteins, or inflammatory processed that are not normally present, such as cancer cells. Since the production of red cells requires iron, the marrow is one of the places in the body that normally stores a supply of iron.

Bone Marrow Aspiration

Bone marrow aspiration is the removal of a small amount of this tissue in liquid form for examination. The bone marrow biopsy and aspiration procedure provides information about the status of and capability for blood cell production.
A bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsy may be ordered to help evaluate blood cell production, to help diagnose leukemia, to help diagnose a bone marrow disorder, to help diagnose and stage a variety of other types of cancer that may have spread into the marrow, and to help determine whether a severe anemia is due to decreased RBC production, increased loss, abnormal RBC production, and/or to a vitamin or mineral deficiency or excess.

Bone Marrow Procedure

A bone marrow aspiration procedure is a technique used to obtain the blood-forming portion (marrow) of the inner core of bone for examination in the laboratory or for transplantation.
The bone marrow consists of inserting a special needle into a bone that contains marrow and withdrawing the marrow by suction or coring out a sample of the marrow.