Most parts of the she skeleton develop from cartilaginous anlagen, a development beginning with the formation of an outer bone collar. Later the primary bone centre in the shaft and the secondary bone centre in the epiphysis are developed. This again leads to the deveaalopment of the growth plate, an important structure for the length of the long bones (e.g. femur, tibia). For the establishment of the secondary bone centre the growth of blood vessels is an essential requirement. Therefore vascularized cartilage canals grow into the epiphysis in the early stages of development. Through these canals cells are transported that decompose the provisional cartilaginous matrix, substituting it at the same time by permanent bone tissue. In studies on chicken and mice these proceedings have been analyzed. Further studies will follow in order to ascertain which molecules contribute to the reduction and resorption of the cartilaginous matrix in order to build cartilage canals, essential structures for the normal epiphyseal development.


Important publications


Blumer MJF, Longato S, Richter E, Pérez MT, Konakci KZ, Fritsch H (2005)
The role of cartilage canals in endochondral and perichondral bone formation; are there similarities between these two processes?
J Anat 205 : 359 – 372

Blumer MJF, Schwarzer C, Pérez MT, Konakci KZ, Fritsch H (2006)
Identification and location of bone forming cells within cartilage canals on their course into the secondary ossification centre (SOC)
J Anat 208 : 695-707

Blumer MJF, Longato S, Schwarzer C, Fritsch H (2007)
Bone development in the femoral epiphysis of mice; the role of cartilage canals and the fate of resting chondrocytes. Dev Dyn (accepted)

Blumter MJF, Longato S, Fritsch H (2008)
Structure, formation and role of cartilage canals in the developing bone.
Ann Anat 190: 305 - 315

Blumer MJF, Longato S, Fritsch H (2008)
Localization of tartrate-resistant phosphatase (TRAP), membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinases (MT1-MMP) and macrophages during early endochondral bone formation.
J Anat (in press)