The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 64, Issue 9 1336-1349, Copyright © 1982 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Quantitative zonal analysis of cytoplasmic structures of growth-plate chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro
CT Brighton, Y Sugioka and RM Hunt
The cytoplasmic components of chondrocytes from the various zones of the
rat costochondral junction, grown in vitro, were quantitated from electron
micrographs using a point-counting technique, and the results were compared
statistically with the cytoplasmic components of chondrocytes in the
corresponding zones of the junction in vivo. Detectable changes occurred in
vitro as early as after six hours of culture. The major changes that
occurred in vitro were: an increase in the amount of lipid bodies in
chondrocytes in the hypertrophic zone and in the bottom portion of the
proliferative zone, failure of the chondrocytes in the bottom portion of
the hypertrophic zone to increase in size, retention of intactness of the
cell membrane of chondrocytes at the base of the hypertrophic zone, a
decrease in the number of mitochondria in chondrocytes in the hypertrophic
zone and in the middle and bottom portions of the proliferative zone, and a
decrease in the number of holes in the cytoplasm of chondrocytes in the
bottom one-half of the hypertrophic zone. In vitro hypertrophic
chondrocytes of the growth plate demonstrated cellular changes associated
with aging, while in vito the hypertrophic chondrocytes demonstrated
changes associated with degeneration. The final result in both cases was
cell death.
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