Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Where is compact bone found in the human skeleton?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
bone
A long bone of the human body, showing a magnified cross section of the interior.
Compact bone is a dense, rigid tissue that constitutes approximately 80 percent of the human skeleton. It is found in most bones, where it typically forms a protective outer shell surrounding the inner cancellous bone.1
Because of its high strength and rigidity, compact bone serves as the primary structural component of the long bones found in the arms and legs, as well as other areas of the skeleton that require significant support.1