title: Chondral ossification centers next to dental primordia in the human mandible: A study of the prenatal development ranging between 68 to 270mm CRL.
abstract: The human mandible is said to arise from desmal ossification, which, however, is not true for the entire body of the mandible: Meckel's cartilage itself is prone to ossification, at least its anterior part in the canine and incisor region. Also, within the coronoid and in the condylar processes there are cartilaginous cores, which eventually undergo ossification. Furthermore, there are a number of additional single cartilaginous islets arising in fetuses of 95mm CRL and more. They are located predominantly within the bone at the buccal sides of the brims of the dental compartments, mostly in the gussets between the dental primordia. They become wedge-shaped or elongated with a diameter of around 150-500μm and were also found in older stages up to 225mm CRL, which was the oldest specimen used in this study. This report is intended to visualize these single cartilaginous islets histologically and in 3-D reconstructions in stereoscopic images. Although some singular cartilaginous tissue within the mandible may be remains of the decaying Meckel's cartilage, our 3-D reconstructions clearly show that the aforementioned cartilaginous islets are independent thereof, as can be derived from their separate locations within the mandibular bone. The reasons that lead to these cartilaginous formations have remained unknown so far.
authors: Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin der Freie Universität Berlin, Charité-Centrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Assmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: ralfj.radlanski@charite.de.
authors: Ralf J
authors: RJ
authors: Radlanski
authors: Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin der Freie Universität Berlin, Charité-Centrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Assmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197 Berlin, Germany.
authors: Herbert
authors: H
authors: Renz
authors: Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin der Freie Universität Berlin, Charité-Centrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Assmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197 Berlin, Germany.
authors: Camilla A
authors: CA
authors: Zimmermann
authors: Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin der Freie Universität Berlin, Charité-Centrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Assmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197 Berlin, Germany.
authors: Felix P
authors: FP
authors: Schuster
authors: Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin der Freie Universität Berlin, Charité-Centrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Assmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197 Berlin, Germany.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Voigt
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 2, FI-20520 Turku 52, Finland.
authors: Kristiina
authors: K
authors: Heikinheimo
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D018568:Crown-Rump Length; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008445:Maxillofacial Development / Q000502:physiology*; D010012:Osteogenesis; D020390:Tooth Socket / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development*
keywords: Alveolar crest; Human development; Mandible; Secondary cartilage