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Updated: Apr 7, 2026
A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies
Published on: July 4, 2017
Detection of early changes after growth plate injury using MRI
Masashi Nakase1, Wook-Cheol Kim1, Yoshinobu Oka1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Background:
To elucidate the association between growth plate injury size and the beginning of physeal growth disturbance by MRI.
Methods:
Thirty-two 5-week-old male Japanese white rabbits were used. Injuries were made to the right tibial proximal growth plate central region with a 3.0-mm and a 1.2-mm drill. The left tibia was used as a control. MRI (7.04 Tesla [T], gradient echo: repetition time [TR], 71.68 ms; echo time [TE], 3.60 ms; proton-density weighted imaging: TR, 2000 ms; TE, 12 ms) of the growth plates was performed at 1, 4, 8, 10, and 12 weeks postinjury. Tibia length, histology, radiography, and microcomputed tomography (µCT) were studied.
Results:
MRI showed that at 10 and 12 weeks postinjury in the 3.0-mm group, the medial and lateral growth plates in the noninjured regions were significantly reduced compared with the controls (P < 0.05). At 12 weeks postinjury in the 1.2-mm group, medial and lateral growth plates in the noninjured regions were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Tibia length and histological growth plate height of injured side in both groups were significantly shorter than controls at 12 weeks postinjury (P < 0.05). Comparison with the controls showed no significant difference at any of the time periods in either the 3.0- or 1.2-mm group according to the radiographic studies (P > 0.05). Bony bridges developed in all the subjects of the 3.0-mm group and in five of eight subjects of the 1.2-mm group, as shown by µCT images.
Conclusion:
This study suggested that growth plate injury size was associated with the timing of the beginning of physeal growth disturbance.
Insights
Growth plate injury size impacts physeal growth disturbance timing. Larger injuries in rabbits led to earlier and more severe growth disturbances, as shown by MRI and histology.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Radiology
Background:
- Growth plate injuries can lead to physeal growth disturbances.
- Understanding the relationship between injury size and disturbance onset is crucial for treatment and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the size of a growth plate injury and the onset of physeal growth disturbance.
- To evaluate the utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in assessing these changes.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two rabbits underwent tibial growth plate injuries of 3.0-mm or 1.2-mm diameter.
- Serial MRI, histology, radiography, and microcomputed tomography (µCT) were performed over 12 weeks.
- Control limbs were used for comparison.
Main Results:
- MRI revealed significant growth plate reduction in non-injured regions by 10-12 weeks post-injury for both injury sizes.
- Tibia length and growth plate height were significantly reduced in injured limbs compared to controls at 12 weeks.
- Bony bridge formation was observed in all 3.0-mm injuries and 5/8 of 1.2-mm injuries.
Conclusions:
- Growth plate injury size is associated with the timing of physeal growth disturbance.
- Larger injuries may lead to earlier and more pronounced growth disturbances.
