Which vessel is located in the central canal along with a vein and a nerve?

• A. Central artery
• B. Nutrient artery
• C. Volkmann's artery
• D. Periosteal artery

Answer: (A)

In compact bone, the central canal (Haversian canal) houses a single arteriole along with a venule and a nerve fiber. This central vessel is called the central artery, forming the core of each osteon’s vascular bundle. The arrangement provides a direct blood supply to the lamellae surrounding the canal, delivering nutrients and oxygen to the bone tissue.

Nutrient arteries enter the bone through nutrient foramina to supply the inner portion of the bone, but they do not run in the central canal; their branches connect to the vascular network via Volkmann’s canals. Periosteal arteries run along the outer surface to nourish the periosteum and outer cortex. Volkmann’s canals connect the central canals and the periosteal vessels, allowing the blood supply to reach different osteons, but they are not the contents of the central canal itself.

So the vessel located in the central canal along with a vein and a nerve is the central artery.