Editing Endochondral ossification (section)

{{short description|Cartilaginous bone development that forms the long bones}}
{{Infobox anatomy
| Name        = Endochondral ossification
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| Image       = SOC001.jpg 
| Caption     = A schematic representation of endochondral ossification.
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| Width       = 300
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| Precursor   =
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'''Endochondral ossification'''<ref>Etymology from {{langx|el|ἔνδον}}/''endon'', "within", and χόνδρος/''chondros'', "cartilage"</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url       = http://www.myetymology.com/english/endochondral.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714142832/http://www.myetymology.com/english/endochondral.html
| url-status = usurped
| archive-date = July 14, 2011
| title     = Etymology of the English word endochondral
| publisher = myEtymology | access-date =
}}</ref> is one of the two essential pathways by which [[bone tissue]] is produced during [[fetal development]] and [[bone healing|bone repair]] of the [[mammal]]ian [[skeleton|skeletal system]], the other pathway being [[intramembranous ossification]]. Both endochondral and intramembranous processes initiate from a precursor [[mesenchymal cells|mesenchymal tissue]], but their transformations into bone are different. In intramembranous ossification, mesenchymal tissue is directly converted into bone. On the other hand, endochondral ossification starts with mesenchymal tissue turning into an intermediate [[hyaline cartilage|cartilage stage]], which is eventually substituted by bone.<ref name=brief>{{cite journal |last1=Šromová |first1=V |last2=Sobola |first2=D |last3=Kaspar |first3=P |title=A Brief Review of Bone Cell Function and Importance. |journal=Cells |date=5 November 2023 |volume=12 |issue=21 |page=2576 |doi=10.3390/cells12212576 |doi-access=free |pmid=37947654 |pmc=10648520}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4}}</ref>

Endochondral ossification is responsible for development of most bones including [[long bone|long]] and [[short bone|short]] bones,<ref>{{Citation|last1=Cowan|first1=PT|title=Anatomy, Bones|date=2023|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537199//|work=StatPearls|place=Treasure Island, Florida (FL)|publisher=StatPearls Publishing|pmid=30725884|last2=Kahai|first2=P}}</ref> the bones of the [[axial skeleton|axial]] ([[ribs]] and [[vertebrae]]) and the [[appendicular skeleton|appendicular]] skeleton (e.g. [[upper limb|upper]] and [[lower limb|lower]] limbs),<ref name=Elsevier>{{cite journal |last1=Blumer |first1=Michael J. F. |title=Bone tissue and histological and molecular events during development of the long bones |journal=Annals of Anatomy - Anatomischer Anzeiger |date=1 May 2021 |volume=235 |pages=151704 |doi=10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151704 |pmid=33600952 |issn=0940-9602|doi-access=free}}</ref> the bones of the [[Base of skull|skull base]] (including the [[ethmoid bone|ethmoid]] and [[sphenoid bone|sphenoid]] bones)<ref name="Lang">{{cite book |last1=Sadler |first1=T.W. |title=Langman's medical embryology |date=2023 |publisher=Wolters Kluwer Health |isbn=978-1975179960 |edition=15th |url=https://shop.lww.com/Langman-s-Medical-Embryology/p/9781975179960}}</ref> and the medial end of the [[clavicle]].<ref>{{Citation|last1=Hyland|first1=S|last2=Charlick|first2=M|last3=Varacallo|first3=M|title=Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Clavicle|date=2023|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525990/|work=StatPearls|place=Treasure Island, Florida FL)|publisher=StatPearls Publishing|pmid=30252246}}</ref> In addition, endochondral ossification is not exclusively confined to embryonic development; it also plays a crucial role in the [[#Fracture healing|healing of fractures]].<ref name="brief" />