The possibility that growth hormone (GH) has effects on long bone growth independent of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has long been debated. If this is true, then long bone growth should be more profoundly affected by the absence of GH (since both GH and GH-stimulated IGF-I effects are absent) than by the absence of IGF-I alone (since GH is still present and actually elevated). To test t...

BACKGROUND Reduced growth and osteopenia are common in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Additionally, improved weight and height are associated with better lung function and overall health in the disease. Mechanisms for this reduction in growth are not understood. We utilized a new CFTR knockout rat to evaluate growth in young CF animals, via femur length, microarchitecture of bone and gr...

Injury to growth plate cartilage in children can lead to bone bridge formation and result in bone growth deformities, a significant clinical problem currently lacking biological treatment. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) offer a promising therapeutic option for regeneration of damaged cartilage, due to their self renewing and multi-lineage differentiation attributes. Although some small an...

The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) signals through IL-1 receptor type I (IL-1RI) and induces osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption mainly during pathological conditions. Little is known about the effect of excess or absence of IL-1 signaling on the physiological development of the growth plate and bone. In this study, we examine growth plate morphology, bone structure, and mecha...

Skeletal stem cells (SSCs) are a population of progenitor cells which give rise to postnatal skeletal tissues including bone, cartilage and bone marrow stroma, however not to adipose, haematopoietic or muscle tissue. Growth plate chondrocytes exhibit the ability of continuous proliferation and differentiation, which contributes to the continuous physiological growth. The growth plate has been h...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mechanical modulation parameters on structural proteins biocomposition and mechanical properties of the growth plate. Establishing these parameters is a crucial step in the development of fusionless treatment of scoliosis. In this study, ulna explants from 4-weeks-old (pubertal) swines were used. The biocomposition was characterized ...

INTRODUCTION This study describes the results achieved using a combination of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with chondrocytes (CHC) and a new scaffold consisting of type-I collagen and chitosan nanofibers in the prevention of partial growth plate arrest after iatrogenic injury in pigs. MATERIAL AND METHODS The miniature pig was selected as an experimental model to compare the resul...

In vertebrates, longitudinal bone growth is the consequence of a complex series of events that take place in a specialized structure, the growth plate cartilage. Within the growth plate chondrocytes undergo a sequential maturation program from resting cells to proliferative, pre-hypertrophic, and ultimately hypertrophic end-stage chondrocytes. This process of chondrocyte maturation is under the...

The epiphysis of femur and tibia in the lizard Podarcis muralis can extensively regenerate after injury. The process involves the articular cartilage and metaphyseal (growth) plate after damage. The secondary ossification center present between the articular cartilage and the growth plate is replaced by cartilaginous epiphyses after about one month of regeneration at high temperature. The prese...