Autoradiographic Studies of Cell Proliferation in the Periosteum of Intact and Fractured Femora of Mice Utilizing DNA Labeling with H 3 -Thymidine. ∗ †

Abstract

Summary

An autoradiographic study of cell proliferation in intact and fractured femoral periosteum of mice using H³-thymidine showed that osteogenic cells are a relatively quiescent cell population awaiting a signal for proliferation and transformation as in fracture repair. Osteogenic cells constitute a self-sustaining cell population, which becomes diminished in size with increasing age. Osteoblasts are in part self-reproducing and in part are produced by transformation of pre-osteoblasts.

The authors wish to thank Miss M. Pavelec for her technical assistance and Mr. Robert F. Smith for the photomicrography.