title: Distribution of elastic fibers in the head and neck: a histological study using late-stage human fetuses.
abstract: There is little or no information about the distribution of elastic fibers in the human fetal head. We examined this issue in 15 late-stage fetuses (crown-rump length, 220-320 mm) using aldehyde-fuchsin and elastica-Masson staining, and we used the arterial wall elastic laminae and external ear cartilages as positive staining controls. The posterior pharyngeal wall, as well as the ligaments connecting the laryngeal cartilages, contained abundant elastic fibers. In contrast with the sphenomandibular ligament and the temporomandibular joint disk, in which elastic fibers were partly present, the discomalleolar ligament and the fascial structures around the pterygoid muscles did not have any elastic fibers. In addition, the posterior marginal fascia of the prestyloid space did contain such fibers. Notably, in the middle ear, elastic fibers accumulated along the tendons of the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles and in the joint capsules of the ear ossicle articulations. Elastic fibers were not seen in any other muscle tendons or vertebral facet capsules in the head and neck. Despite being composed of smooth muscle, the orbitalis muscle did not contain any elastic fibers. The elastic fibers in the sphenomandibular ligament seemed to correspond to an intermediate step of development between Meckel's cartilage and the final ligament. Overall, there seemed to be a mini-version of elastic fiber distribution compared to that in adults and a different specific developmental pattern of connective tissues. The latter morphology might be a result of an adaptation to hypoxic conditions during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umezawa
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Omine
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: José Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Vázquez
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
keywords: Ear ossicles; Elastic fibers; Head; Human fetus; Sphenomandibular ligament
references.citation: Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1995;136(1-2):88-91
references.pmid: 8748833
references.citation: J Biomed Opt. 2007 Mar-Apr;12(2):024011
references.pmid: 17477726
references.citation: Q Bull Northwest Univ Med Sch. 1956;30(4):331-55
references.pmid: 13408429
references.citation: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011 Mar 18;52(3):1501-6
references.pmid: 20926825
references.citation: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2007 Apr;62(4):375-81
references.pmid: 17452730
references.citation: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002 Sep;43(9):2923-32
references.pmid: 12202511
references.citation: Microsc Res Tech. 1997 Aug 15;38(4):428-35
references.pmid: 9297692
references.citation: Mod Pathol. 2010 Sep;23(9):1251-60
references.pmid: 20526286
references.citation: J Anat. 2009 Sep;215(3):292-9
references.pmid: 19531086
references.citation: J Invest Dermatol. 2006 Dec;126(12):2707-14
references.pmid: 16902421
references.citation: Am J Sports Med. 2006 Jan;34(1):72-7
references.pmid: 16170042
references.citation: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001 Dec;177(6):1465-70
references.pmid: 11717108
references.citation: Stroke. 2002 Nov;33(11):2565-9
references.pmid: 12411643
references.citation: Am J Anat. 1984 Aug;170(4):597-629
references.pmid: 6475819
references.citation: Surg Radiol Anat. 2004 Oct;26(5):411-6
references.pmid: 15300412
references.citation: Anat Embryol (Berl). 1998 Jun;197(6):439-50
references.pmid: 9682975
references.citation: J Invest Dermatol. 1976 Mar;66(3):143-8
references.pmid: 1249442
references.citation: Arch Oral Biol. 1991;36(1):15-23
references.pmid: 1707268
references.citation: Anat Rec. 1992 Jul;233(3):453-60
references.pmid: 1609976
references.citation: J Laryngol Otol. 1999 Jun;113(6):501-8
references.pmid: 10605576
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002 Jul;187(1):93-8
references.pmid: 12114894
references.citation: Matrix Biol. 1995 Jul;14(7):553-60
references.pmid: 8535605
references.citation: Dis Colon Rectum. 2011 Feb;54(2):232-7
references.pmid: 21228674
references.citation: Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2000 Dec;10(6):312-20
references.pmid: 11085557
references.citation: J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2011 Jan;37(1):13-23
references.pmid: 21040201
references.citation: Anat Rec. 2000 Jan 1;258(1):1-14
references.pmid: 10603443
references.citation: J Anat. 2005 Aug;207(2):165-73
references.pmid: 16050903
references.citation: Ital J Anat Embryol. 2006 Apr-Jun;111(2):105-10
references.pmid: 16981399
references.citation: Arch Oral Biol. 1990;35(10):807-11
references.pmid: 2264798
references.citation: J Osaka Dent Univ. 1989 Oct;23(2):99-109
references.pmid: 2640943
references.citation: Anat Embryol (Berl). 2003 May;206(6):437-45
references.pmid: 12700898
references.citation: Arch Histol Cytol. 2001 Dec;64(5):535-43
references.pmid: 11838713
references.citation: Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2007 Aug;18(8):863-8
references.pmid: 17333444
references.citation: Surg Radiol Anat. 1998;20(3):171-6
references.pmid: 9706675
references.citation: Mondo Ortod. 1990 Jul-Aug;15(4):439-42
references.pmid: 2215496
references.citation: Anat Rec. 2002 Dec 1;268(4):430-40
references.pmid: 12420291
references.citation: Clin Anat. 2011 May;24(4):469-77
references.pmid: 20830792
references.citation: Anat Sci Int. 2009 Sep;84(3):129-40
references.pmid: 19242780
references.citation: J Biol Chem. 2011 Mar 4;286(9):7093-103
references.pmid: 21193390
references.citation: J Spinal Disord. 1990 Dec;3(4):288-92
references.pmid: 1724936
references.citation: Photochem Photobiol. 2005 Mar-Apr;81(2):457-66
references.pmid: 15560737
references.citation: Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2008 Dec;19(12):1663-70
references.pmid: 18688559
references.citation: J Anat. 2006 Feb;208(2):179-89
references.pmid: 16441562
references.citation: Histopathology. 2011 Sep;59(3):504-13
references.pmid: 22034890