Disclosed are 1) osteogenic devices comprising a matrix containing osteogenic protein and methods of inducing endochondral bone growth in mammals using the devices; 2) amino acid sequence data, amino acid composition, solubility properties, structural features, homologies and various other data characterizing osteogenic proteins, 3) methods of producing osteogenic proteins using recombinant DNA technology, and 4) osteogenically and chondrogenically active synthetic protein constructs.