Compact Bone Is designed to nourish and regulate osteocytes and bone matrix.  Compact bone can be remodeled all throughout life to withstand stress. The circular vessels in the middle of bone are Haversian canals.  Haversian canals run along the length of the long bone and provide major vessel supply to the osteocytes. 

Compact Bone Vessels that connect with those in the Haversian canals run perpendicularly or obliquely to the Haversian canals.  These are Volkmann's canals.

Compact bone labeling

Compact Bone Look at the layers of bone and osteocytes running around the Haversian canal.  Focus up and down and you can see tiny channels, like spider legs, extending from oblong lacunae.  The osteocytes are sitting in the lacunae and the canals are canaliculi, which interconnect the lacunae with the major vessels. This series of channels allows the osteocyte to be nourished and regulated. osteocytes

Compact Bone

Compact Bone