The soft material in the centre of certain bones is the bone marrow. The marrow contains different types of cells that give rise to red cells, white cells and platelets.
It is a procedure to obtain bone marrow and the surrounding bone for examination in the laboratory.
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy is usually performed (i) to diagnose various conditions that affect the different types of blood cells; (ii) to diagnose certain cancers; or (iii) to determine the extent of the cancer (cancer staging).
The site of aspiration and biopsy is usually in the hip bone just above your buttock area. You will be lying down during the procedure, either on your left or right side, with your knees bent. Alternative sites may include the sternum (breast bone) for bone marrow aspiration. For sternal aspiration, you will be lying flat on your back. The aspiration and biopsy site will be cleaned and local anaesthesia administered prior to the procedure. A special needle will be inserted into the bone to obtain marrow for marrow aspiration and a core of bone for bone marrow biopsy.
Your doctor will inform you of the bleeding risks based on your illness, blood tests and the medications that you are taking.
Please inform your doctor if you have any medical illnesses. Before the procedure, please inform your doctor if any of the following are applicable: