title: Quantitative histology of cartilage cell columns in the human costochondral junction: findings in newborn and pediatric subjects.
abstract: The mean number of cells per cartilage column and the proportion of hypertrophic and proliferative chondrocytes per column were determined in the costochondral junction in a population of normal subjects including 10 fetal-newborns and 15 subjects aged 0.3-16 y of age. Both the mean number of cells per column and the proportion of proliferative cells per column were significantly greater in the fetal-newborn population compared to the pediatric population (12.6 +/- 1.0 versus 8.4 +/- 0.4, p less than 0.001 and 39.6 +/- 6.9 versus 24.4 +/- 2.5, p = 0.025, respectively) (mean +/- sem [n]). The number of cells per column bore a significant negative relationship to subject age (r = -0.52, p = 0.007). Significant positive correlations were found between the mean number of cells per column and age-specific growth velocity both in males (length-height velocity = [(6.3) (mean number of cells) - 44.1], r = 0.72, p = 0.02) and in females (length-height velocity = [(3.4 (mean number of cells) - 14.4], r = 0.77, p = 0.006). These data will provide normative values against which abnormalities characteristic of the skeletal dysplasias can be compared.
authors.affiliation: Medical Genetics-Birth Defects Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rimoin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012272:Ribs / Q000254:growth & development*