Cutting the nutrient vessels of the femur, together with stripping of its periosteum, was invariably followed by extensive infarction of bone and of bone marrow in young, rapidly growing rabbits. Impairment in the rate of circumferential growth accompanied cortical infarction, but no delay in longitudinal growth was found after infarction of enchondral bone. The cortical infarets in the bones of the animals of this series were almost completely repaired within two months except for changes in contour, whereas the Sequences of enchondral-bone formation became normal three weeks after the operation.
In ainimals approaching maturity, the operation produced varied results. Persistence of marrow infarcts for periods of five months or more accompanied ingrowths of fibrous tissue, and occasionally stimulated the production of one within the marrow compartment. Cortical infarcts in the bones of these animals were repaired so slowly that large amounsts of dead bone were present for as long as nine months after the initial injury.