Quantitative histology of cartilage cell columns in the human costochondral junction: findings in newborn and pediatric subjects.

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.