Our objective was to analyse the spatial-temporal distribution of MMPs and theirs inhibitors, TIMP1, 2 and Reck, during mouse endochondral ossification. Femurs (n=5/period) were collected from foetuses (E13-E20) and 1 day postnatal (PN1) and processed to immunohistochemistry (IHQ) and gelatin zymography (GZ) analysis. For IHQ (sections - 5µm), we used polyclonal and biotinylated secondary antibodies, the StreptABComplex/HRP kit, a chromogenic substrate mixture. For GZ, the tissues were frozen at -80°C until the protein extraction and 10% SDS-PAGE containing 4% gelatin. During the chondrocyte differentiation phase (E13), the proliferative (PC) and prehyperthrophic (PHC) chondrocytes were immunopositives for the MMPs, Reck, and TIMPs. The hypertrophics chondrocytes (HC) on E14 showed stronger immunostaining for MMPs than Reck and TIMPs. At the early vascular and cellular invasion period (E15), MMPs were expressed by endothelial and mesenchymal cells (MC) localized in the inner layer of the perichondrium. PC and PHC were strongly immunoposite to Reck. No changes on TIMPs profile was observed on E15 and MC were strongly immunopositives for MMPs but weakly for TIMPs and Reck at the diaphysis. During the primary bone formation (E16) the HC and osteoblasts in the growth plate (GP) were immunopositives for MMPs, decreasing until PN1. However, the Reck and TIMPs immunostaining increased during the same period. The GZ showed MMPs activities in all periods, being highest at E18. Our results support that Reck is expressed by osteogenic and chondrogenic cells and that MMP2, 9, TIMP1, 2, and Reck were differentially expressed during the endochondral ossification in mouse’ femur, suggesting that they play an active role during ECM remodeling.