The morphology of growth cartilage using the scanning electron microscope

The authors undertook a scanning electron microscopic study of the layers of the growth cartilage in the distal end of the rabbit femur in longitudinal and transverse fractures. The relationships between the various morphological structures were determined. The three-dimensional spatial depiction facilitates the better understanding of some mutual relationships between various growth cartilage components. Especially interesting are the regressive processes in both the cells and the matrix which explain the reduction of mechanical strength in the zone of the hypertrophic cells. Also interesting is the way in which the cells are placed and fixed in the lucunae. Moreover, the spatial picture of the terminal plate shows an unexpectedly compact structure.