Structural Evaluation of the Cartilage and Bone Tissue in Cattle from the Functional and Morphological Aspects

Cerny H.: Structural Evaluation of the Cartilage and Bone Tissue in Cattle from the Functional and Morphological Aspects. Acta vet. Brno, 49, 1980: 127-144. The evaluation of morphological structures with regard to changes induced by disorders of mineral metabolism in 8 to 12-month old bulls was performed in 82 cylinders of bone tissue obtained by osteobiopsy of the tuber coxae using a modified method according to Bartelheimer. The bone cylindres were fixed immediately after sampling. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Azan and according to Goldner. Using various staining metods a number of correlates was obtained the evaluation of which gives a more objective view of the findings thus authorizing the wording of general conclusions. The morphological examination of structures of bone bioptic samples shows that the disorders in mineral metabolism are induced by changes of the morphological structure which are, in young animals, manifested mainly on the apophyseal growth cartilage and in some cases on the trabeculae of the spongious bone. Changes in the cartilage affect mainly its distal edge with a continuous enchondral ossification zone. The zone of the calcified hypertrophic cartilage is elongated and the individual hypertrophic chondrocytes are not arranged into columns but they form disarranged groups of cells. The ground substance of the cartilage is insufficiently mineralized, it is separated in fragments which shift into other ossification zones. In these they can be seen as atypical structures. Demineralization affects also the trabeculae of the spongious bone; on their superficial, endostal regions and, in a smaller extent, around the lacunae and bone channels the formation of osteoid tissue was observed. In the histological preparations the osteoid tissue is very well differentiated in colour. As the author's findings show, the methods of elaboration used enable from the general point of view to show the possibility of intravital diagnostics of structural changes occurring in cases of disorders of mineral metabolism. Bone biopsy, apophyseal cartilage, spongious bone, mineral metabolism, demineralization, cattle. The aim of the present paper is to give a survey of the possibilities of evaluating the morphological structure of the cartilage and bone tissue, the bone tissue obtained intravitally by biopsy from tuber coxae, in relation to metabolic disorders originating due to the lack of osteoplastic elements in feedlot bulls. Another task to be solved is the identification of changes from the point of view of the evaluation of morphological structures of the bone tissue occurring in the individual structures and their comparison with normal conditions. On the basis of knowledge obtained it is the aim to define the zonally occurring changes in the morphological structure which are of paramount importance with regard to further evaluation. When evaluating literature data dealing with problems of the bone as an organ, or describing the individual constituents of bone tissue, it can be said that there are many papers dealing with this