Summary
The purpose of this work was to analyze the proximal tibial metaphysis of the 170 g rat in a quantitative histologic fashion which would allow some relation to tissue age to be established. Stained 3 µm thick tissue sections were analyzed with the aid of a Merz grid on an eyepiece reticule and a light microscope. Tissue mass and cell distribution were studied in all areas. The rate of change in tissue mass during aging of the metaphysis was calculated. Two regions of the metaphysis were identified. One, corresponding to the primary spongiosa, less than 4.45 days of age, is a region of high turnover of hard tissue and high numbers of osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells. The other, corresponding to the secondary spongiosa, is a region of relatively low net tissue turnover and low numbers of osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells. Osteoclasts were found relatively more uniformly distributed through the metaphysis than were osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells. The rate of bone formation in the primary spongiosa is 50 times that found in the Haversian bone of the rib of 5-year-old humans and about 500 times that found at the cortical-endosteal surface of ribs of 5-year-old humans. It is argued that both cell distribution and tissue distribution in the metaphysis support the concept that osteoblasts and osteoclasts, rather than osteocytes, are responsible for the maturation of the metaphysis. The inhomogeneous distribution of both cells and tissue in the metaphysis has definite meaning for the interpretation of findings concerning the incorporation of radionuclides into the skeleton.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schenk, R., Merz, W.A., Fleisch, H.A., Muhlbauer, R.C., Russell, R.G.G.: Effects of ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) and dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP) on the calcification and resorption of cartilage and bone in the tibial epiphysis and metaphysis of rats, Calcif. Tissue Res.11:196–214, 1973
Miller, S.C., Jee, W.S.S.: Ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) effects on growth and modeling of the rat tibia, Calcif. Tissue Res.19:215–231, 1975
Young, M.H., Crane, W.A.J.: Effect of hydrocortisone on the utilization of tritiated thymidine for skeletal growth in the rat, Ann. Rheum. Dis.23:163–168, 1964
Simmons, D.J., Kunin, A.S.: Autoradiographic and biochemical investigations of the effect of cortisone on the bones of the rat, Clin. Orthop. Rel. Res.55:201–215, 1967
Simmons, D.J.: Cellular changes in bones of mice as studied with tritiated thymidine and the effects of estrogen, Clin. Orthop. Rel. Res.26:176–191, 1963
Whalen, J.P., Krook, L., MacIntyre, I., Nunez, E.: Calcitonin, parathyroidectomy, and modeling of bones in the growing rat, J. Endocrinol.66:207–212, 1976
Kember, N.F.: Tech. Information Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory Report #5541, 1961
Landry, M., Fleisch, H.: The influence of immobilization on bone formation as evaluated by osseous incorporation of tetracycline, J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br.]46:764–771, 1964
Mehls, O., Ritz, E., Gilli, G., Schmidt-Gayk, H., Krempien, B., Kourist, B., Wesch, H., Prager, P.: Skeletal changes and growth in experimental uremia, Nephron18:288–300, 1977
Stump, C.W.: The histogenesis of bone, J. Anat.59:136–154, 1925
Kember, N.F.: Cell division in endochondral ossification. A study of cell proliferation in rat bones by the method of tritiated thymidine autoradiography, J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br.]42:824–839, 1960
Young, R.W.: Cell proliferation and specialization during endochondral osteogenesis in young rats, J. Cell Biol.14:357–370, 1962
Kimmel, D.B., Jee, W.S.S.: A rapid plastic embedding technique for preparation of three micron thick sections of decalcified hard tissue, Stain Technol.50:83–86, 1975
Merz, W.A., Schenk, R.K.: A quantitative histologic study on bone formation in human cancellous bone, Acta Anat. (Basel)76:1–15, 1970
Kimmel, D.B., Jee, W.S.S.: Morphometric measurements in tissue bands isometric to an irregular reference line. In P. Meunier (ed.): Bone Histomorphometry, pp. 97–102. Paris, Armour, 1978
Sokal, R.R., Rohlf, F.J.: Biometry. San Francisco, Freeman, 1969
Whalen, J.P., Winchester, P., Krook, L., Dische, R., Nunez, E.: Mechanisms of bone resorption in human metaphyseal remodeling, Am. J. Roentgenol.112:526–531, 1971
Miller, S.C.: Osteoclast cell surface changes during the egg-laying cycle in Japanese quail, J. Cell Biol.75:104–118, 1977
Parfitt, A.M.: Physiologic and clinical significance of bone histomorphometric data. In R. Recker (ed.): Bone Histomorphometry: Techniques and Interpretation, CRC (in press)
Stover, B.J., Atherton, D.R.: Kinetics of the skeletal retention of Pu(IV), Radiat. Res.60:525–535, 1974
Wronski, T.J., Smith, J.M., Jee, W.S.S.: Relation of microdistribution and retention of injected Pu-239 to osteosarcoma incidence in beagles, Radiat. Res. (in press)
Frost, H.M.: Tetracycline-based histologic analysis of bone remodeling Calcif. Tissue Res.3:211–237, 1969
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kimmel, D.B., Jee, W.S.S. A quantitative histologic analysis of the growing long bone metaphysis. Calcif Tissue Int 32, 113–122 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408530
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408530