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Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was shown to be critical for skeleton development, and TRAP deficiency leads to a reduced resorptive activity during endochondral ossification resulting in an osteopetrotic phenotype and shortened long bones in adult mice. A proper longitudinal growth depends on a timely, well-coordinated vascularization and formation of the secondary ossification center (SOC) of the long bones epiphysis. Our results demonstrate that TRAP is not essential for the formation of the epiphyseal vascular network. Therefore, in wild type (Wt) controls as well as TRAP deficient (TRAP^−/−) mutants vascularised cartilage canals are present from postnatal day (P) five. However, in the epiphysis of the TRAP^−/− mice cartilage mineralization, formation of the marrow cavity and the SOC occur prematurely compared with the controls. In the mutant mice the entire growth plate is widened due to an …