Figure 4.

Representative histopathological sections of the distal femoral epiphysis in BALB/c mice treated with placebo (PL) or dexamethasone (GC). In PL-treated group, no ON lesions were found, with a few marrow fat cells and some sinusoids being observed in bone marrow. In GC-treated mice, most of the bone marrow space were either occupied by fat (blue arrows), developed necrotic bone marrow (green arrows) and trabeculae necrosis, which was characterised by empty lacunae (black arrows), pyknotic nuclei of osteocytes (yellow arrows) and surrounded by necrotic fat debris. haematoxylin and eosin staining; original magnifications 4× and 20×.

GC = glucocorticoid; ON = osteonecrosis.