Journal of Anatomy最新文献

{"title":"Osteohistology of the unusually fast-growing theropod dinosaur Ceratosaurus.","authors":"Riley Sombathy, Patrick M O'Connor, Michael D D'Emic","doi":"10.1111/joa.14186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ceratosaurus is a large-bodied non-avian theropod dinosaur known from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of North America and is remarkable both for its exceptionally fast annual growth rate and its status as the only theropod currently known with postcranial osteoderms. We describe the osteohistology of three hind limb bones, two dorsal ribs, and one osteoderm representing four individuals of Ceratosaurus. In addition to describing the tissues of these bones, we compared the annual growth rates from three individuals in our sample to those of five other ceratosaurians. We fit seven growth models to two of the specimens in our sample and compared the results of the best-fit model(s) to those of two other ceratosaurians (Masiakasaurus knopfleri and Majungasaurus crenatissimus) for which sufficient growth data were available. The bone tissue of hind limbs in Ceratosaurus is highly vascularized, with dense plexiform or reticular vascular complexes and alternating strips of parallel or woven-fibered matrix. Few lines of arrested growth were recorded in hind limbs prior to specimens achieving asymptotic body size. Both sampled dorsal ribs are highly remodeled, with only small portions of primary bone visible in each section, revealing parallel-fibered bone with sparse primary osteons. Both dorsal ribs contain numerous lines of arrested growth throughout the cortex that allowed for more accurate estimates of individual age when paired with the data from hind limbs. The osteoderm is composed of a core of large Haversian canals and a perimeter of lamellar bone with dense Sharpey's fibers along the internal surface of the bone. Multiple LAGs are also present within the lamellar bone along the exterior margins. Maximum annual growth rates in Ceratosaurus were on average nine-fold faster than those of other ceratosaurians. Our sample lacks data from juveniles so confidence in inferred growth models is limited. Thus, to begin to constrain Ceratosaurus growth patterns, we averaged the results of all models that possessed an Akaike Information Criterion score corrected for small sample size (AICc) within 10 of the lowest scoring model. We found that the monomolecular model exhibited the lowest AICc value, with the von Bertalanffy and Gompertz models possessing AICc values within 10 units of it. In contrast, the logistic and Gompertz models were confidently selected for Masiakasaurus and Majungasaurus, respectively. Irrespective of growth model, maximum relative annual growth rates for Ceratosaurus were several-fold greater than those of Masiakasaurus and Majungasaurus. Both histological and growth model estimates of life history support an evolutionary trend towards more prolonged development in Ceratosauria through evolutionary time.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143255667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Histological analysis of anterior eye development in the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei).","authors":"Ashley M Rasys, Shana H Pau, Katherine E Irwin, Sherry Luo, Douglas B Menke, James D Lauderdale","doi":"10.1111/joa.14226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14226","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For all vertebrates, the anterior eye structures work together to protect and nourish the eye while ensuring that light entering the eye is correctly focused on the retina. However, the anterior eye structure can vary significantly among different vertebrates, reflecting how the structures of the anterior eye have evolved to meet the specific visual needs of different vertebrate species. Although conserved pathways regulate fundamental aspects of anterior eye development in vertebrates, there may also be species-specific differences underlying structural variation. Our knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of structures of the anterior eye comes mainly from work in mammals, chicks, some amphibians, and small teleosts such as zebrafish. Our understanding of anterior eye development would benefit from comparative molecular studies in diverse vertebrates. A promising lizard model is the brown anole, Anolis sagrei, which is easily raised in the laboratory and for which genome editing techniques exist. Here, we provide a detailed histological analysis of the development of the anterior structures of the eye in A. sagrei, which include the cornea, iris, ciliary body, lens, trabecular meshwork, and scleral ossicles. The development of the anterior segment in anoles follows a pattern similar to other vertebrates. The lens forms first, followed by the cornea, iris, ciliary body, and tissues involved in the outflow of the aqueous humor. The development of the iris and ciliary body begins temporally and then proceeds nasally. Scleral ossicle development is generally comparable to that reported for chicks and turtles. Anoles have a remarkably thin cornea and a flat ciliary body compared to the eyes of mammals and birds. This study highlights several features in anoles and represents a deeper understanding of reptile eye development.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143189262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Postnatal development in a specialized bird: Quantitative and qualitative analysis of pelvic girdle morphological changes in Rhea americana (Aves, Palaeognathae).","authors":"Mariana B J Picasso","doi":"10.1111/joa.14219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14219","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The greater rhea (Rhea americana) is the largest bird in South America. It is flightless and cursorial, with a precocial postnatal development. This study aims to describe the postnatal morphological changes in the pelvic girdle of Rhea americana, focusing on ontogenetic scaling and gross anatomy to provide insight into the potential relationship between structure and function in cursorial birds. The pelves of 18 specimens representing four postnatal stages, were studied. Gross anatomical observations and staining methods were used to identify bone and cartilage, providing detailed information about qualitative morphological changes. Quantitative changes were assessed through linear regression analysis using pelvic linear dimensions and body mass to determine allometric growth patterns. The pelvic girdles of immature specimens are characterized by unfused bones, including the vertebrae synsacrales and the medial borders of the ilia, and small cartilaginous areas at the caudal end of the ilium, ischium, pubis, antitrochanter and tuberculum preacetabulare. These immature traits persisted until the most advanced juvenile stages were studied, indicating the slow postnatal growth typical of precocial birds. Similar to other precocial birds, the greater rhea exhibits large bone areas in its pelvic girdle, providing the mechanical strength necessary for locomotion from hatching. The pelvic dimensions showed a combined pattern of allometric and isometric growth related to hindlimb function and body support. The positive allometric growth of the ilium contributed to its increasing verticalization and narrowing, providing an increased dorsoventral surface area for the attachment of the powerful proximal hindlimb muscles. In contrast, the isometric growth of the intertrochanteric width helps in the uniform distribution of loading caused by body mass, providing adequate stability and support.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143189275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A fast start: Evidence of rapid growth in Trialestes romeri, an early Crocodylomorpha from the Upper Triassic continental beds of Argentina based on osteohistological analyses.","authors":"Denis A Ponce, Ignacio A Cerda, Julia B Desojo","doi":"10.1111/joa.14230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14230","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The palaeobiology aspects of early Crocodylomorpha during their origin in the Triassic are poorly known, despite occupying an important palaeoecological role in continental environments. In this study, we report the microstructural features of appendicular bones of two specimens of Trialestes romeri, a non-Crocodyliformes Crocodylomorpha from the Upper Triassic from the NW of Argentina. Our goals are to infer aspects of life history (i.e. age estimation and maturity events), inter-elemental variation and the growth dynamics within a phylogenetic framework. The samples include the humerus and the ulna of the holotype (PVL 2561) and the humerus and the femur of a referred specimen (PVL 3889). All elements are mostly composed by the fibrolamellar complex with a variable distribution of parallel-fibred bone in their cortex. Furthermore, they possess a uniform and homogeneous vascularisation, formed mainly by a laminar pattern. The humerus of the PVL 2561 records two lines of arrested growth (LAGs) and no cyclical growth marks were registered in the ulna. Meanwhile, the humerus and the femur of PVL 3889 exhibit a single LAG. Hence, a slight disparate inter-elemental variation is reported in both individuals. The absence of an external fundamental system (EFS) and a homogenous distribution of the bone matrix and vascularisation suggest that both specimens did not attain sexual and somatic maturity. Overall, the histological features of T. romeri indicate a rapid growth rate just like other early crocodylomorphs (Terrestrisuchus, Saltoposuchus), whereas others possess a rather moderate (Crocodylomorpha indet. BP/1/8484 specimen) or slower (Hesperosuchus) growth rate. These findings reveal that rapid growth rates were widely present among early crocodylomorphs and their early occurrence in the evolutionary history of Crocodylomorpha might suggest that it is the plesiomorphic condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143065780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gharial acoustic signaling: Novel underwater pops are temporally based, context-dependent, seasonally stable, male-specific, and individually distinctive","authors":"Jailabdeen Ajji M.,&nbsp;Jeffrey W. Lang","doi":"10.1111/joa.14171","DOIUrl":"10.1111/joa.14171","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Gharials (&lt;i&gt;Gavialis gangeticus&lt;/i&gt;) produce a sudden, high amplitude, pulsatile, underwater sound called a POP. In this study, gharial POPs ranged from 9 to 55 ms, and were clearly audible on land and water, at ≥500 m. POPs were only performed underwater by adult males possessing a sex-specific, cartilaginous narial excrescence, termed the ghara. We recorded 130 POP events of seven wild adult males in 115 km stretch of the Chambal River during 2017–2019, using hydrophones and aerial mics. A POP event occurs when a male produces a single or double or triple POP, each with a specific duration and timing. A POP event was incorporated into a complex, multi-modal breathing display, typically performed by each male during the breeding season. Key features of this novel gharial POP signal are documented here for the first time. These include its incorporation into a complex breathing display, its reliance on temporal rather than spectral elements, its dependence on a specific social context, its stability within an individual, and its individually distinctive patterning specific to a particular male. The breathing display consisted of sub-audible vibrations (SAV) preceding each POP, then a stereotyped exhalation–inhalation–exhalation sequence, concluding with bubbling and submergence. In our study, 96% of the variation in POP signal parameters was explained by POP signal timings (92%) and number of POPs (4%), and only 2% was related to spectral features. Each POP event was performed in a specific social setting. Two behavioral contexts were examined: ALERT and PATROL. In each context, male identities were examined using Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). Within each context, each of the seven males exhibited distinctive POP patterns that were context-specific and denoted a male's identity and his location. POP signal features were stable for individual males, from 1 year to the next. Overall, the seven males showed POP patterns that were individually specific, with minimal overlap amongst males, yet these were remarkably diverse. The stereotypy of POP patterns, based on temporal versus frequency difference was best characterized statistically using DFA metrics, rather than Beecher's Information Statistic, MANOVA, or Discriminant Score computations. Our field observations indicated that audiences of gharial, located nearby, and/or in the distance, responded immediately to POPs by orienting in the signal direction. Extensive auditory studies of crocodylians indicate that their capacity for auditory temporal discrimination and neural processing in relation to locating a sound target is on par with that of birds. How the POP sound is produced and broadcast loudly in both water and air has received little study to date. We briefly summarize existing reports on ghara anatomy, ontogeny, and paleontology. Finally, preliminary observations made in a clear underwater zoo enclosure indicate that jaw claps performed entirely underwater produce POP sounds. S","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":"246 3","pages":"415-443"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/joa.14171","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143065781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hierarchical loop formation in human midgut during physiological umbilical herniation.","authors":"Nanase Ishida, Yui Ueda, Toru Kanahashi, Jun Matsubayashi, Hirohiko Imai, Shigehito Yamada, Tetsuya Takakuwa","doi":"10.1111/joa.14228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14228","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study aimed to describe the morphological alterations that occur in the midgut and mesentery over time during the herniated phase of the midgut. The primary loop, a single hairpin-shaped loop, becomes recognizable at Carnegie stage (CS) 16. This loop projects toward the umbilical cord and subsequently gives rise to four secondary loops in the midgut of human embryos. As development advances, the segments corresponding to each secondary loop further develop into an increasing number of loops, referred to as tertiary loops. The mesenteric leaves and the narrowing parts, which serve as the borders of the secondary loops, remain identifiable throughout the subsequent stages of development. A total of 47 human embryos between CS16 and CS23 and two fetuses in the physiological umbilical herniated stage were selected for high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging acquisition. Specimens were obtained from the Congenital Anomaly Research Center of Kyoto University. Serial tissue sections obtained from four embryos were subjected to histological observation. The midgut and mesentery were reconstructed in three dimensions, and the resulting morphological changes were observed and analyzed. Formation of the primary loop was observed in all specimens between CS16 and CS18. Secondary loops in the midgut were initially discerned at CS19 in segments 2 and 4 (S2 and S4). The border between S3 and S4 was identified at the apex of the midgut hernia, where traces of the vitelline artery and duct enter the mesentery. At CS21 and later stages of development, the presence of three borders at the exact location delineated by mesenteric narrowing was consistently observed, which resulted in the midgut being divided into four segments in all specimens. The formation of tertiary loops was initially identified at CS 21, occurring in either segment S2 or S3. By CS23, tertiary loops were observed in three segments in most specimens. Notably, the initial formation of tertiary loops in S4 occurred one CS later than in S2 or S3. Additionally, the increase in the number of folds and the length per fold in S4 was delayed compared with the number and length of folds observed in both S2 and S3. The number of loops in S1 remained constant (one secondary loop) across all specimens. Upon reaching a critical threshold length, the number of loops exhibited a marked increase, accompanied by rapid elongation in S2, S3, and S4. The number of tertiary loops increased in accordance with the crown-rump length, which exhibited a maximum of 19 tertiary loops in S2 to S4 of the midgut. These findings support the hypothesis that tertiary loops develop biomechanically through the rapid elongation of the midgut and slow growth of the mesentery. This study describes the morphological alterations occurring in the midgut and mesentery over time during the herniated phase of the midgut and provides a comprehensive understanding of the roles of genetic and biomechanical factors in loop formati","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143065805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intraskeletal histovariability and skeletochronology in an ornithopod dinosaur from the Maestrazgo Basin (Teruel, Spain).","authors":"Juan Maíllo, Jerome Hidalgo-Sanz, José Manuel Gasca, José Ignacio Canudo, Miguel Moreno-Azanza","doi":"10.1111/joa.14225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14225","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ornithopods are an extinct group of dinosaurs that were particularly abundant and diverse in the Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula, and whose abundance in the Maestrazgo Basin has allowed numerous taxa to be identified over the last decade. Many of these fossil remains are still taxonomically indeterminate and require a more detailed study on both a macroscopic and microscopic scale. In this contribution, an osteohistological analysis is carried out on a partial skeleton-composed of five incomplete vertebrae, two dorsal ribs, an ischium, a fibula, and a tibia-found in the province of Aliaga (Teruel, NE Spain). We identified a progressive slowdown in tissue apposition and a variation in the type of growth marks generated in every bone, allowing a more precise identification of the ontogenetic stage of the specimen as a subadult individual. The skeletochronological correlation between the different elements also suggests that the specimen reached sexual maturity at around seven years of age and died between nine and twelve years of age. Likewise, the usefulness of the three-front model is proven for the first time in an ornithopod dinosaur, as a tool for analysing the histology expressed by the different bone elements of a single specimen and inferring their skeletochronological potential. Comparison with other ornithopod taxa reveals the great variability that each bone element shows depending on the taxon analysed, which prevents us from determining a single element suitable for studying the skeletochronology of any ornithopod taxon.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143059149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A preliminary ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging study of distinct aortic morphologies.","authors":"B Tornifoglio, S T Robinson, R E Levey, A J Stone, S Campisi, C Kerskens, G P Duffy, S Avril, C Lally","doi":"10.1111/joa.14223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Changes in the microstructure of the aortic wall precede the progression of various aortic pathologies, including aneurysms and dissection. Current clinical decisions with regards to surgical planning and/or radiological intervention are guided by geometric features, such as aortic diameter, since clinical imaging lacks tissue microstructural information. The aim of this proof-of-concept work is to investigate a non-invasive imaging method, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), in ex vivo aortic tissue to gain insights into the microstructure. This study examines healthy, aneurysm and a type B chronic dissection aortae, via DTI. DTI-derived metrics, such as the fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, helical angle and tractography, were examined in each morphology. The results from this work highlighted distinct differences in fractional anisotropy (healthy, 0.24 ± 0.008; aneurysmal, 0.19 ± 0.002; dissected, 0.13 ± 0.006) and a larger variation in the helical angle in the dissected aorta compared to healthy (39.28 ± 11.93° vs. 26.12 ± 4.60°, respectively). These differences were validated by histological characterisation. This study demonstrates the sensitivity of DTI to pathological changes in aortic tissue, highlighting the potential of this methodology to provide improved clinical insight.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143046826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of human myoblasts on tenogenic progression in 2D and 3D culture models.","authors":"Yoshifumi Tsuchiya, Ching-Yan Chloé Yeung, Rene B Svensson, Michael Kjaer","doi":"10.1111/joa.14224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14224","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tendon injuries and disorders associated with mechanical tendon overuse are common musculoskeletal problems. Even though tendons play a central role in human movement, the intrinsic healing process of tendon is very slow. So far, it is known that tendon cell activity is supported by several interstitial cells within the tendon. However, the interplay between the tendon and the adjacent muscle for tendon regeneration and development processes has not been fully investigated. Here, we tested whether factors released from muscle derived myogenic cells (myoblasts) enhance tenogenic progressions of human tendon derived cells (tendon fibroblasts) using two-dimensional (2D) culture model and a three-dimensional (3D)-engineered tendon construct culture model, which mimics tendon regeneration and development. The conditioned media from myoblasts and unconditioned media as control were applied to tendon fibroblasts. In 2D, immunofluorescence analysis revealed increased collagen type I expressing area and increased migration potential when conditioned media from myoblasts were applied. In the 3D-engineered human tendon construct model, wet weight, diameter, and cross-sectional area of the tendon constructs were increased in response to the application of conditioned media from myoblasts, whereas the collagen density was lower and mechanical function was reduced both at the functional level (maximum stiffness) and the material level (maximum stress and modulus). These results indicate that myoblast-derived factors extend collagen expressing area and enhance migration of tendon fibroblasts, while factors involved in the robustness of extra-cellular matrix deposition of tissue-engineered tendon constructs are lacking. Our findings suggest that adjacent muscle affects the signaling interplay in tendons.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143032257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Computational simulation of cranial soft tissue expansion on the cranium during early postnatal growth in humans.","authors":"Amy Manson, Nathan Jeffery","doi":"10.1111/joa.14211","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14211","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The importance of interactions between neighbouring rapidly growing tissues of the head during development is recognised, yet this competition for space remains incompletely understood. The developing structures likely interact through a variety of mechanisms, including directly genetically programmed growth, and are mediated via physiological signalling that can be triggered by structural interactions. In this study, we aimed to investigate a different but related potential mechanism, that of simple mechanical plastic deformation of neighbouring structures of the head in response to soft tissue expansion during human postnatal ontogeny. We use computational modelling and normative real-world data to evaluate the potential for mechanical deformation to predict early postnatal cranial shape changes in humans. We test some aspects of the spatial packing hypothesis applied to the growing brain and masticatory muscles, and their effects on the cranium, with a particular focus on the basicranium and face. A simple finite element model of an early postnatal human cranium, brain and masticatory muscles was created from CT and MRI. Growth of the brain and muscles was simulated using a tissue expansion material. The effect of the expanding soft tissues on the cranium was assessed using geometric morphometrics, comparing the baseline model to simulation results, and also to normative cranial shape data collected from neonatal MRI (0-4 months of age). Findings revealed that cranial shape changes present in the normative sample were consistent with cranial base flexion and were largely allometric (size-linked). Simulation of brain expansion produced broadly similar shape changes of the basicranium with most growth occurring in the cranial vault, while masticatory muscle expansion produced smaller and more widespread changes throughout the cranium. When simulated together, expansion of the masticatory muscles exerted a constraining effect on the results of brain expansion. Our findings that the simple growth simulations were able to mimic biological growth suggest that the relationship between regions of the developing head may be partly structural within the first few months of postnatal ontogeny in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":14971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Anatomy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143032242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}