Influence of Oxygen Concentration and Mechanical Factors on Differentiation of Connective Tissues in vitro

MARCHAND1 postulated that osteoblasts may differentiate from mesenchymal cells. Recently, it was observed that a strain of cells, derived from adult skeletal muscle, elaborated in tissue culture a sub-stance that appeared to be chondro-osteoid2. Since the factors responsible for this cell behaviour were unknown, investigation of the effects of varying mechanical and nutritional factors on a reproducible in vitro system of osteogenesis was made. Hanging-drop, Maximov double cover-slip cultures were established from 20-day-old chick embryo tibial cortex and were maintained as described by Fell3.