Radiation damage to growing bone: the effect of X-ray doses of 100 to 1,000 r on mouse tibia and knee-joint

Abstract

The effects of localized single doses of X rays on Ca45 uptake and growth of the mouse tibia and knee-joint and on the histology and mitosis of the epiphyseal cartilage plate were studied. Doses of 1000 r and 500 r caused marked histological changes from which recovery slowly occurred. 45Ca uptake was temporarily depressed after these doses, but not significantly after 250 r and 100 r. Stunting of growth of the tibia appeared rapidly after 1,000 r but only very slowly after 500 r. There was almost complete inhibition of mitosis in the cartilage plate shortly after irradiation: this recovered rapidly at first but was not complete until 3 weeks after irradiation. It is concluded that some cells degenerate having successfully completed the first mitotic cycle.