The influence of function on chondrogenesis at the epiphyseal cartilage of a growing long bone

In order to study the behaviour of epiphyseal cartilage in a nonfunctional environment, the third metacarpal bone was transplanted intracerebrally as an isograft between 7-day-old litter-mate rats. Host animals were killed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks post-operatively, and the cellular kinetics evaluated by means of tritiated thymidine autoradiography. The study was also used to compare the effects of function on chondrogenesis at the epiphyseal cartilage with that previously demonstrated for the condylar cartilage of the mandible (Meikle, '73a). Transplantation resulted in three major changes in the cartilage; there was a decreased rate of proliferative activity in the cell columns; the cartilage failed to maintain a satisfactory increase in transverse diameter; the cells of the perichondrium differentiated into osteoblasts instead of chondroblasts. Autoradiographic and histological findings suggested that the inability of the cartilage to increase in transverse diameter was related to the decreased rate of proliferative activity in the cell columns and not to the cessation of perichondrial chondrogenesis. On the basis of these findings two conclusions can be made. 1. Extrinsic mechanical stresses associated with function appear to be necessary for the normal interstitial growth of epiphyseal cartilage during postnatal development, suggesting that functional activity can influence the rate of cell proliferation. 2. Functional activity provides the stimulus for the differentiation of perichondrial cells into chondroblasts.