TRANSIENT LOCAL PRESENCE OF NERVE-FIBERS AT ONSET OF SECONDARY OSSIFICATION IN THE RAT KNEE-JOINT

In view of recent evidence that nerves may be involved in bone formati on, the present study examines the local occurrence of axons at the on set of secondary ossification center formation in the knee region of d eveloping rats. Radiographic and histological examination showed that secondary ossification center formation commenced at day 10. At day 15 the epiphyseal ossification had reached a relatively mature state. As seen by light microscopy, cartilage canals first appeared at day 5, r eaching the epiphyseal center by day 9. Axons exhibiting a neurofilame nt-like immunoreactivity emerged from the perichondrial plexa into the cartilage canals. Many calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunor eactive and substance P (SP)-immunoreactive axons were found in the ca nals, as well as in the perichondrium. Axons with tyrosine hydroxylase -like immunoreactivity were not found in the canals, but such fibers o ccurred in relation to blood vessels at other sites. The canal-related axons disappeared between days 13 and 15, and the canals themselves d id not persist beyond bone formation. As seen in the electron microsco pe, an individual canal contained 3-10 unmyelinated Schwann cell-enclo sed axons with diameters of 0.1-2.0 mu m. These observations show that putative sensory unmyelinated axons with CGRP-and SP-like immunoreact ivity are transiently present during initiation of bone formation in d eveloping epiphyses. Whether there is a causal relation between transi ent innervation and osteogenesis remains to be determined.