AbstractA method for staining various structures of chondro—osseous trabeculae of the growth plate is described. A pseudo Schiff reagent made from crystal violet is used in the PAS sequence as the stain for calcified cartilage. Prestaining in saturated picric acid differentiated between calcified bone and osteoid tissue before staining with a modified Goldner's or Mallory's procedure. The method has been particularly suitable for histomorphometric studies of rat growth plates using an automatic numerized image analyzer system.