[Mineralization and vascular invasion during endochondral bone formation]

The epiphyseal cartilage is composed of the distinct zones of resting, proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocytes. The intercolumnar cartilage matrix of the hypertrophic zone is subjected to mineralization whereas the transverse partitions of the cartilage column are poorly mineralized. Therefore, mineralized cartilage matrices are formed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the epiphyseal cartilage. Vascular endothelial cells invade the cartilage by penetrating the poorly mineralized transverse partition at the chondro-osseous junction, resulting in the exposure of mineralized intercolumnar matrix to bony tissue. The exposed mineralized cartilage matrices appear to serve as scaffolds for osteoblastic attachment. These osteoblasts deposit bone matrices onto the cartilage cores, forming primary trabecular bones. Vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF, is a strong angiogenic factor, and play a pivotal role in vascular invasion into cartilage. The invading endothelial cells possess the receptor for VEGF, and secret matrix metallo protatenase to digest the cartilage matrices of the unmineralized transverse partition of the column.