Anat Cell Biol.  2021 Mar;54(1):65-73. 10.5115/acb.20.265.

Fetal cervical zygapophysial joint with special reference to the associated synovial tissue: a histological study using near-term human fetuses

• Kitamura K
• Hayashi S
• Jin ZW
• Yamamoto M
• Murakami G
• Rodríguez-Vázquez JF
• Yamamoto H

• KMID: 2514586
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5115/acb.20.265

Abstract

Human fetal cervical vertebrae are characterized by the large zygapophysial joint (ZJ) extending posteriorly. During our recent studies on regional differences in the shape, extent, and surrounding tissue of the fetal ZJ, we incidentally found a cervical-specific structure of synovial tissues. This study aimed to provide a detailed evaluation of the synovial structure using sagittal and horizontal sections of 20 near-term fetuses. The cervical ZJ consistently had a large cavity with multiple recesses at the margins and, especially at the anterior end, the recess interdigitated with or were located close to tree-like tributaries of the veins of the external vertebral plexus. In contrast to the flat and thin synovial cell lining of the recess, the venous tributary had cuboidal endothelial cells. No or few elastic fibers were identified around the ZJ. The venous-synovial complex seems to be a transient morphology at and around birth, and it may play a role in the stabilization of the growing cervical ZJ against frequent spontaneous dislocation reported radiologically in infants. The venous-synovial complex in the cervical region should be lost and replaced by elastic fibers in childhood or adolescence. However, the delayed development of the ligament flavum is also likely to occur in the lumbar ZJ in spite of no evidence of a transient venous-synovial structure. The cuboidal venous endothelium may simply represent the high proliferation rate for the growing complex.

Keyword

Zygapophysial joint; Ligament; Neck; Human; Fetus

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Sagittal sections of the cervical vertebrae from a fetus with a crown-rump length of 280 mm. Hematoxylin and eosin staining. Joints between the second and seventh vertebrae are included; numbers 2–7 indicate the vertebral level. The joints between the articular processes, laminae, and bases of the spinous processes are shown in (A–C), respectively. (D, E) exhibit higher-magnification views of the square in (A, C), respectively. The joint cavity creates a thin recess at the anterior and posterior ends (arrows in A). Arrowheads in (D) indicate daughter recesses of the cavity between the fourth and fifth vertebrae. (A–C) and (D, E) were prepared at the same magnification, respectively. Scale bars in (A, D)=1 mm. DRG, dorsal root ganglion.

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  Fig. 2 Sagittal sections of the cervical vertebrae from a fetus with a crown-rump length of 302 mm. Hematoxylin and eosin staining. Joints between the laminae from the first to the seventh vertebrae (A); numbers 1–7 indicate the vertebral level. (B–F) display higher-magnification views of the squares in (A). (B–D) display the anterior end of the joints in levels between the second and third, third and fourth, and fifth and sixth vertebrae, respectively. (B) shows venous tributaries (arrows). (D) shows a cross-section of a vein in the synovial tissue. € shows a synovial fold at the posterior end of the joint between the third and fourth vertebrae. (F) exhibits slit-like or recess-like venous tributaries in the anterior synovial tissue (arrows). Arrowheads in (C, F) indicate a thin daughter recess with a rough surface. Scale bars=1 mm in (A, F); 0.1 mm in (B–E). DRG, dorsal root ganglion; VA, vertebral artery.

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  Fig. 3 Sagittal sections of the cervical vertebrae from a fetus with a crown-rump length of 285 mm. Elastica-Masson staining. Joints between the laminae from the second to the sixth vertebrae and a single joint between the articular processes of the sixth and seventh vertebrae (A); numbers 2–7 indicate the vertebral level. (B, D, and G) display higher-magnification views of the squares in (A). (C, E, F, and I) are higher-magnification views of the squares at the anterior end of the joints in (B, C, D, and G), respectively. (B) contains a thin recess of the joint cavity. (C) shows no elastic fibers. (D) exhibits recesses of the joint cavity and a vein at the anterior end of the joint between the fourth and fifth vertebrae. In this area, neither the periosteum (E) nor the vein (F) contains or accompanies elastic fibers. (G) shows recesses of the joint cavity between the fifth and sixth vertebrae; the sixth vertebrae has a few elastic fibers (arrows in I). (H) (same magnification as I) shows the internal elastic lamina of an artery outside of (A). Scale bars=1 mm in (A, D); 0.1 mm in (B, C, E–G, and I). DRG, dorsal root ganglion.

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  Fig. 4 Horizontal sections of the mid-cervical vertebrae from a fetus with a crown-rump length of 310 mm. Hematoxylin and eosin staining (A–D) and elastica-Masson staining (E–H). A shows the topographical anatomy of a joint between the fourth and fifth vertebrae (4, 5); at the joint (right), the lower vertebral element is located anterior to the upper adjacent vertebra. (B) is a higher-magnification view of a joint on the left side of (A). (B, C) exhibit planes 0.2 and 0.4 mm, respectively, below (A). A recess of the joint cavity originates in (B) (arrowhead) and extends infero-anteriorly in (B, C). (E) shows a higher-magnification view of the square in (C). (F, G) are higher-magnification views of squares in (A). There are no evident elastic fibers around the recesses of the joint cavity (E, F). (G) displays a venous plexus in synovial tissue on the medial side of the joint. (H) exhibits highly wavy elastic fibers in a wall of the vertebral artery (VA). The thick bundle just below the VA corresponds to the internal lamina, whereas the other thin bundles are embedded in the future smooth muscle layer. Scale bars=2 mm in (A); 1 mm in (B–D); 0.1 mm in (E–H). DRG, dorsal root ganglion; VA, vertebral artery.

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  Fig. 5 Hand-finger model showing the topographical relationship between the venous tributaries and joint cavity of the cervical zygapophysial joints. Venous tributaries (vein) intercalate with recesses of the joint cavity, especially at the anterior margin of the latter.

Reference

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