SHORT-TERM RESPONSE OF EPIPHYSEAL PLATE CELL-POPULATIONS FOLLOWING SELECTIVE DEVASCULARIZATION AND MICROSURGICAL REVASCULARIZATION

The distal femoral epiphyseal plates of 21 8-week-old New Zealand whit e rabbits were totally or partially (nutrient artery only) devasculari zed, or devascularized and then microsurgically revascularized. Sacrif ice was at 24, 48 or 72 hours postoperatively. The heights of the prol iferative and hypertrophic zones of the epiphyseal plates operated upo n were compared with the contralateral control epiphyseal plates for b oth the central and the peripheral regions of the epiphyseal plate. Ne ither extent of devascularization nor revascularization had a signific ant effect on the height of the proliferative zone of chondrocytes at any of the follow-up intervals. Selective devascularization of the nut rient artery led to a significant increase in height of the central re gion of the hypertrophic zone of chondrocytes at 48 and 72 hours. Micr osurgical revascularization did not lead to a significant change in th e height of either the central or the peripheral regions of the hypert rophic zone of chondrocytes at any of the follow-up intervals. This st udy is another 'building block' experiment toward vascularized epiphys eal plate transplantation in humans.