Some Pathogenic Aspects of Gross Pathological Changes in ⁹⁰Sr-treated Bone of Newborn Rats

Summary

Rats of the Long-Evans strain were given highly toxic doses of ⁹⁰Sr on the second day of life. The strontium treated animals showed an initial hyperaemia in the shaft of the long bone, followed by extensive cell death and cessation of growth. Longitudinal (endochondrial) bone growth eventually recovered, with cell repopulation of marrow in metaphyses. However, the mid-diaphysial region showed a persistent devitalized zone consisting of dead bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue and detritus. Spontaneous fracture at the site that had failed to heal was often a terminal complication at the time of death of the animal. Clearly, certain defects of growth can be produced in young growing bone that are not likely to be produced in mature animals under similar experimental conditions.