The Probert Encyclopaedia of Medicine

PERIOSTEUM

The periosteum is the tough, vascular membrane which covers the surface of a bone, except for the articular cartilage. The periosteum contains the blood vessels which supply nutrients to the bones enabling them to regenerate. The bones of the skull feature no such periosteum, and so cannot regenerate themselves. The periosteum also facilitates the regeneration of bone by serving as a confining membrane for the deposition of new bone cells, insuring that any regeneration of osseous material is added to the pre-existing bone.
Research Periosteum