Sharpey's fibers

Author: Danijel Tosovic, PhD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: March 25, 2024
Reading time: 1 minute

Sharpey's fibers, also known as perforating fibers or bone fibers, are bundles of collagen fibers which connect periosteum to bone. They originate in the periosteum and penetrate deeply into the bone matrix, anchoring the periosteum to the underlying bone.

Some ligaments and tendons also contain Sharpey's fibers that connect them to bone, notably fibrous entheses in regions of substantial cortical bone. In teeth, the periodontal ligament contains Sharpey's fibers that anchor the ligament to the cementum and alveolar bone.

Terminology	English: Perforating collagen fibre bundles Latin: Fasciculi collageni perforantes Synonyms: Bone fibers, Perforating fibers, Sharpey's fibers,
Definition	Thick collagen fiber bundles that connect periosteum to bone

Learn more about bone tissue with this study unit (and article):

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.

Standring, S. (2016). Gray's Anatomy (41st ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

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Sharpey's fibers

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