A bone marrow biopsy can take about 60 minutes. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside your bones. It’s home to blood vessels and stem cells that help produce

• Red and white blood cells
• Platelets
• Fat
• Cartilage
• Bone.

There are two types of marrow: red and yellow. Red marrow is mainly found in your flat bones such as your hip and vertebrae. As you age, more of your marrow becomes yellow due to an increase in fat cells. Your doctor will extract red marrow, usually from the back of your hip bone. And the sample will be used to check for any blood cell abnormalities.

The pathology lab that receives your marrow will check to see if your bone marrow is making healthy blood cells. If not, the results will show the cause, which may be an infection, bone marrow disease, or cancer.