Abstract
In an attempt to pursue the disturbances of longitudial growth of long bones, the impacts were continuously given to the head of the femur in young rabbit and studied histochemically the consequent change of the epiphyseal cartilage with time.
Results.
1. A reduction in the length of the bone became appreciable towards the 15th week, while premature closure of the epiphyseal line was demonstrable at the 31st week.
2. The glycogen content was found to be reduced at the 5th week or later.
3. The content of acid mucopolysaccharide also began to decrease later than the 5th week, and this reduction is probably responsible for disturbance of calcification and consequently of growth.
4. It may be thus concluded that the impacts given to the epiphyseal cartilage in a continuous manner has resulted in disturbance of glycometabolism in the resting cartilaginous layer toward the 5th week and consequently in disturbed growth of cartilage cells, eventually leading to disturbance of bone growth.
