Learn About Bone Marrow Aspiration
Bone marrow aspiration may be done in your health care provider's office or in a hospital. The bone marrow is removed from your pelvic or breast bone. Sometimes, another bone is selected.
Marrow is removed in the following steps:
- If needed, you are given medicine to help you relax.
- Your provider cleans the skin and injects numbing medicine into the area and surface of the bone.
- A special needle is inserted into the bone. The needle has a tube attached to it, which creates suction. A small sample of bone marrow fluid flows into the tube.
- The needle is removed.
- Pressure and then a bandage are applied to the skin.
The bone marrow fluid is sent to a lab and examined under a microscope.
Tell your provider:
- If you are allergic to any medicines
- If you are pregnant
- If you have bleeding problems
- What medicines you are taking
You will feel a sting and slight burning sensation when the numbing medicine is applied. You may feel pressure as the needle is inserted into the bone, and a sharp and usually painful sucking sensation as the marrow is removed. This feeling lasts for only a few seconds.
Your provider may order this test if you have abnormal types or numbers of red or white blood cells or platelets on a complete blood count.
This test is used to diagnose:
- Anemia (some types)
- Infections
- Leukemia
- Other blood cancers and disorders
It may help determine whether cancers have spread or responded to treatment.
The bone marrow should contain the proper number and types of:
- Blood-forming cells
- Connective tissues
- Fat cells
Abnormal results may be due to cancers of the bone marrow, including:
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
- Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
Abnormal results may also be due to other causes, such as:
- Bone marrow doesn't make enough blood cells (aplastic anemia)
- Bacterial or fungal infections that have spread throughout the body
- Cancer of the lymph tissue (Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma)
- A bleeding disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Blood cancer called (multiple myeloma)
- Disorder in which the bone marrow is replaced by scar tissue (myelofibrosis)
- Disorder in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells (polycythemia) or platelets (thrombocytosis)
- Disorder in which not enough healthy blood cells are made (myelodysplastic syndrome; MDS)
Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells. It is found in the hollow part of most bones. Bone marrow aspiration is the removal of a small amount of this tissue in liquid form for examination.
Bone marrow aspiration is not the same as bone marrow biopsy. A biopsy removes a core of bone tissue for examination.
Iliac crest tap; Sternal tap; Leukemia - bone marrow aspiration; Aplastic anemia - bone marrow aspiration; Myelodysplastic syndrome - bone marrow aspiration; Thrombocytopenia - bone marrow aspiration; Myelofibrosis - bone marrow aspiration
There may be some bleeding at the puncture site. More serious risks, such as serious bleeding or infection, are very rare.
The Christ Hospital Cardiovascular Associates LLC
Timothy Henry is an Interventional Cardiologist and a Cardiologist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Henry has been practicing medicine for over 43 years and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Bone Marrow Aspiration. His top areas of expertise are Heart Attack, Angina, Cardiogenic Shock, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Bone Marrow Aspiration. Dr. Henry is currently accepting new patients.
Min Zhang is a Holistic Medicine provider in New York, New York. Mr. Zhang is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Bone Marrow Aspiration. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Balantidiasis, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Bone Marrow Aspiration, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).
Wei Wang is a Psychiatrist in Englewood, New Jersey. Dr. Wang is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Bone Marrow Aspiration. Her top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Dementia, Ocular Hypertension (OHT), Endoscopy, and Bone Marrow Aspiration. Dr. Wang is currently accepting new patients.
Summary: This phase II MyeloMATCH treatment trial compares the usual treatment of cedazuridine-decitabine (ASTX727) to the combination treatment of ASTX727 and enasidenib in treating patients with higher-risk, IDH2-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). ASTX727 is a combination of two drugs, decitabine and cedazuridine. Cedazuridine is in a class of medications called cytidine deaminase inhibitors. It pre...
Summary: This phase II MyeloMATCH treatment trial compares cytarabine with daunorubicin versus cytarabine with daunorubicin and venetoclax versus venetoclax with azacitidine for the treatment of younger patients with intermediate risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Cytarabine is a drug that inhibits some of the enzymes needed for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication and repair and can slow or stop the gr...
Published Date: June 17, 2024
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Bates I, Burthem J. Bone marrow biopsy. In: Bain BJ, Bates I, Laffan MA, eds. Dacie and Lewis Practical Haematology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 7.
Choby BA. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. In: Fowler GC, ed. Pfenninger and Fowler's Procedures for Primary Care. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 220.
Vajpayee N, Graham SS, Bem S. Basic examination of blood and bone marrow. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 31.