Skeletal Dysplasias Associated with Mild Myopathy—A Clinical and Molecular Review

Figure 2

A histological H&E (haematoxylin and eosin) stained image of an adult mouse growth plate and a schematic representation of differentiation zones in the tissue. In the growth plate several distinct structural zones can be identified, reflecting the gradual transition of cells through different stages of differentiation [13]. Resting zone acts as a reserve of precursor cells for the proliferating chondrocytes in the columns [10]. Proliferating zone is where the cells flatten and divide, laying down a cartilage extracellular matrix that will later serve as a scaffold for bone formation [14]. In the prehypertrophic zone, the cells enter the maturation zone and begin to enlarge. In the hypertrophic zone, the chondrocytes and their lacunae become 5–12 times bigger [14]. These cells eventually die, triggering vascularisation and bone formation.