[Physiology and pathology of the epiphyseal cartilage (author's transl)]

Knowledge of the physiology of the epiphyseal cartilage, respectively epiphyseal plate, is essential for an understanding of defective growth and abnormal modeling of the long bones. The epiphyseal cartilage develops from the embryonal, cartilaginous long bone structure. The histology of the epiphyseal cartilage is characterised by definable zones representing the individual differentiation steps from the reformation of cartilage to chondrolysis. Modeling of the ends of the long bones is also influenced by a transversal and longitudinal direction of growth in the epiphyseal cartilage. The intercellular substance mainly contains collagin, proteoglycanes and non-collagenic proteins. These macromolecules are compounded by means of physicochemical bonds and are responsible for the special mechanical qualities of the hyaline cartilage. The process of mineralisation at the base of the epiphyseal cartilage is an essential differentiating step for the ossification processes which take place in the metaphysis. Two pathogenetic principles at the epiphyseal cartilage appear to be important for the defective growth of the long bones. On the one hand, the flowing equilibrium between the differentiation steps of cartilage reformation, transformation of the hyaline cartilage into a mineralised cartilaginous tissue and chondrolysis is changed, whereas on the other hand the turnover of these differentiation steps is retarded or accelerated.