Analysis of the relative contributions of the proximal and distal epiphyseal plates to the growth in length of the tibia in the New Zealand white rabbit
McCormick, M.J.; Lowe, P.J.; Ashworth, M.A.
Growth 36(2): 133-144
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-4793 PMID: 5057056 Document Number: 4987
Under general anaesthesia a type I epiphyseal fracture was produced through the right upper tibial growth plate of three-week-old New Zealand White rabbits. To determine what proportion of the total increase in length was contributed by either end of the tibia, bilateral metal markers were inserted into the tibiae during the same procedure. Bone growth was followed by serial teleoroentgenograms. In order to allow comparison between animals and groups, the growth of the upper and lower ends of the tibiae was represented by equations fitted to values derived by adding the serial increases at either end to an initial estimated value. This method avoided the difficulties encountered in trying to compare the increases alone since these are values relative to a variable starting point. The curves thus obtained were submitted to an analysis of variance which demonstrated that the amount of overgrowth at the distal end of the fractured tibia, though small, was statistically significant. The growth of the upper fractured end showed no significant difference from that of the normal, confirming previous work in the field.
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