The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an essential player in the development of multiple organs during embryonic and postnatal stages, but its function in cartilage development and homeostasis is largely unknown.Recent studies from our group and others have demonstrated that EGFR and its cognate ligand, TGF α, in chondrocytes consist of a critical signaling pathway governing endochondral ossification and articular cartilage maintenance.