Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
A
B
Articular cartilage
Resting
chondrocytes
Secondary
ossification
center
Proliferating
chondrocytes
Resting zone
Growth plate
Proliferating zone
Hypertrophic
chondrocytes
Hypertrophic zone
Marrow cavity
Osteoblast
Osteoclast
Trabeculae
Ossification zone
Blood vessel
Cortical bone
250
m
m
2.7
The epiphyseal growth plate shown (A) schematically and (B) via light microscopy. Growth plates allow longitudinal
bone growth by a sequence of chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation to hypertrophy and cell death (apoptosis).
Chondrocyte death is accompanied by vessel ingrowth and bone matrix production resulting in ossification of the
cartilage scaffold (panel A reproduced with permission of Macmillan Publishers from Page-McCaw
et al
.
232
Panel B
courtesy of the University of Kansas Medical Center [©2008]).
