Children’s longitudinal growth is facilitated by the activity of the growth plates, cartilage discs located near the ends of the long-bones. In order to elongate these bones, growth plates must continuously generate chondrocytes. Two recent studies have demonstrated that there are stem cells and a stem cell niche in the growth plate, which govern the generation of chondrocytes during the postnatal growth period. The niche, which allows stem cells to renew, appears at the same time as the secondary ossification center (SOC) matures into a bone epiphysis. Thus, the mechanism of chondrocyte generation differs substantially between neonatal and postnatal age, i.e., before and after the formation of the mineralized epiphyses. Hence, at the neonatal age bone growth is based on a consumption of chondro-progenitors whereas postnatally it is based on the activity of the stem cell niche. Here we discuss potential implications of these observations in relation to longitudinal growth, including the effects of estrogens, nutrition and growth hormone.

中文翻译：

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骨骺干细胞生态位驱动出生后骨骼生长：对儿科的潜在影响

生长板（位于长骨末端附近的软骨盘）的活动促进了儿童的纵向生长。为了拉长这些骨骼，生长板必须不断产生软骨细胞。最近的两项研究表明，生长板中有干细胞和干细胞生态位，它们控制着出生后生长期间软骨细胞的产生。允许干细胞更新的生态位在次级骨化中心 (SOC) 成熟为骨骺的同时出现。因此，软骨细胞生成的机制在新生儿和出生后年龄之间，即在矿化骨骺形成之前和之后显着不同。因此，在新生儿时期，骨骼生长基于软骨祖细胞的消耗，而在出生后则基于干细胞生态位的活动。在这里，我们讨论这些观察结果对纵向生长的潜在影响，包括雌激素、营养和生长激素的影响。