Cartilaginous morphology

The reconstruction of posterior lamellar eyelid defects remains a significant challenge in clinical practice due to anatomical complexity, specialized function, and aesthetic concerns. The ideal substitute for the posterior lamellar should replicate the native tarsoconjunctival tissue, providing both mechanical support for the eyelids and a smooth surface for the globe after implantation. In this study, we present an innovative approach utilizing tissue-engineered cartilage (TEC) grafts generated from rabbit auricular chondrocytes and a commercialized type I collagen sponge to reconstruct critical-sized posterior lamellar defects in rabbits...

PURPOSE: The endoscopic trans-eustachian approach (ETETA) is a less invasive approach to the infratemporal fossa (ITF), providing superior exposure compared to traditional transcranial approaches. The anatomy of the pharyngotympanic (eustachian) tube and adjacent neurovascular structures is complex and requires in-depth knowledge to safely perform this approach. We present a cadaveric and radiological assessment of critical anatomic considerations for ETETA. METHODS: Six adult cadaveric heads were dissected alongside examination of 50 paranasal sinus CT scans...

BACKGROUND: Atypical cartilaginous tumour (ACT) and high-grade chondrosarcoma (CS) of long bones are respectively managed with active surveillance or curettage and wide resection. Our aim was to determine diagnostic performance of X-rays radiomics-based machine learning for classification of ACT and high-grade CS of long bones. METHODS: This retrospective, IRB-approved study included 150 patients with surgically treated and histology-proven lesions at two tertiary bone sarcoma centres...

Tessellated cartilage forms much of the skeleton of sharks and rays, in contrast to most other aquatic vertebrates who possess a skeleton of bone. Interestingly, many species of sharks and rays also regularly generate exceptionally high forces in the execution of day-to-day activities, such as when feeding on bony fish, mammals, and hard-shelled invertebrates. Tessellated cartilage differs from other types of cartilage in that they are covered by an outer layer of small mineralized tiles (tesserae) that are connected by fibrous connective tissue...

Although Xenopus Laevis is the most widely used model amphibian, skeletal development of its vertebral column has not been well illustrated so far. The mode of vertebral column development in anurans has been classified into two modes: perichordal and epichordal. Xenopus vertebral column formation is believed to follow the epichordal mode, but this aspect has been underemphasized, and illustrative examples are currently unavailable to the scientific community. This study documents the entire process of vertebral column formation in X...

Tissue engineering strategies show great potential for repairing osteochondral defects in osteoarthritic joints; however, these approaches often rely on passaging cells multiple times to obtain enough cells to produce functional tissue. Unfortunately, monolayer expansion culture causes chondrocyte dedifferentiation, which is accompanied by a phenotypical and morphological shift in chondrocyte properties that leads to a reduction in the quality of de novo cartilage produced. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate transcriptional variations during in vitro expansion culture and determine how differences in cell phenotype from monolayer expansion alters development of functional engineered cartilage...

Automated technologies are attractive for enhancing the robust manufacturing of tissue-engineered products for clinical translation. In this work, we present an automation strategy using a robotics platform for media changes, and imaging of cartilaginous microtissues cultured in static microwell platforms. We use an automated image analysis pipeline to extract microtissue displacements and morphological features as noninvasive quality attributes. As a result, empty microwells were identified with a 96% accuracy, and dice coefficient of 0...

Vocal production in birds has been the target of considerable research that mostly has focused on phylogenetically well-nested songbirds. Anatomical descriptions and recordings of many non-songbirds have often only focused on a single ontogenetic stage or sex. While basic morphology of the vocal organ (syrinx) of ostrich (Palaeognathae, Struthio camelus) has been known since the 1800s, descriptions of its vocal repertoire and syrinx anatomy since then have been incomplete or inconsistent. New toolkits now enable detailed qualitative description of internal anatomy and meristic data and allow it to be compared to vocal production...

Yeast infections have gained significant attention in the field of marine biology in recent years. Among the broad diversity of marine organisms affected by these infections, elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) have emerged as highly susceptible, due to climate change effects, such as increasing water temperatures and pollution, which can alter the composition and abundance of fungal communities. Additionally, injuries, or compromised immune systems resulting from pollution or disease may increase the likelihood of fungal infections in elasmobranchs...

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence supporting the value of morphological parameters on post-reduction magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict long-term residual acetabular dysplasia (RAD) after closed or open reduction for the treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 42 patients (47 hips) undergoing open or closed reduction with a minimum 10 years of follow-up; 39 (83%) of the hips were in female patients, and the median age at reduction was 6...

We present new reconstructions of subcephalic musculature for the stem chondrichthyan Pucapampella, the tetrapodomorph fish Eusthenopteron, and the Devonian tetrapod Ichthyostega. These reconstructions are based on macroscopic dissections of the head muscles of an archaic shark Heptranchias and an archaic actinopterygian Polypterus, that are combined with functional considerations and a reappraisal of not widely known theoretical concepts from the past. The subcephalic, as well as the supracephalic, musculature is formed by four anterior myomeres...

The sclera of all vertebrate eyes is comprised of connective tissue, with some organisms developing cartilage within this tissue. A review of the cartilages that have been described in the vertebrate sclera and their anatomical relationships is discussed together with their potential homology. Incorrect terminology erroneously implies similarity in location, development, morphology, and evolution, which may lead some scientists to assume all cartilages in orbit are the same elements when reading the literature...

BACKGROUND: There are known anatomic variations that may lead to traumatic disruption of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) identified within adult and adolescent patients. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to compare the parameters of pediatric knees diagnosed with and without an ACL injury by magnetic resonance imaging. The hypothesis was that children with ACL abnormalities would demonstrate an equivalent notch width index (NWI), but a larger notch height index (NHI), in comparison with age-matched patients without ACL abnormalities, suggesting an association with congenital morphology...

A subset of gustatory cells are serotonin immunoreactive (ir) in the mammalian taste bud. In the taste bud of lamprey, elongated gustatory-like cells are also serotonin-ir. In contrast, flattened serotonin-ir cells are located only in the basal region of the taste buds in the teleosts and amphibians. These serotonin-ir cells are termed as basal cells. To evaluate the evolution and diversity of serotonergic cells in the taste bud of amniote animals, we explored the distribution and morphology of serotonin-ir cells in the taste buds of ancestral actinopterygian fish (spotted gar, sturgeon, Polypterus senegalus) and elasmobranch (stingray)...

Chewing is widespread across vertebrates, including mammals, lepidosaurs, and ray-finned and cartilaginous fishes, yet common wisdom about one group-amphibians-is that they swallow food whole, without processing. Earlier salamander studies lacked analyses of internal kinematics of the tongue, analyses of muscle function, and sampled few individuals, which may have caused erroneous conclusions. Specifically, without tongue and food kinematics, intraoral behaviours are difficult to disambiguate. We hypothesized that ambystomatid salamanders use diverse intraoral behaviours, including chewing, and tested this hypothesis with biplanar videofluoroscopy, X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology, and fluoromicrometry...

Cross-linked polymer blends from natural compounds, namely gelatin (Gel), chitosan (CS), and synthetic poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), have received increasing scrutiny because of their versatility, biocompatibility, and ease of use for tissue engineering. Previously, Gel/CS/PVA [1:1:1] hydrogel produced via the freeze-drying process presented enhanced mechanical properties. This study aimed to investigate the biocompatibility and chondrogenic potential of a steam-sterilized Gel/CS/PVA hydrogel using differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AD-hMSC) and cartilage marker expression...

The retinas of the vast majority of vertebrate species are termed "duplex" - that is, they contain both rod and cone photoreceptor neurons in different ratios. The retina of Little skate ( Leucoraja erinacea ) is a rarity among vertebrates because it contains only a single photoreceptor cell type and is thus "simplex". This unique retina provides us with an important comparative model and an exciting opportunity to study retinal circuitry within the context of a visual system with a single photoreceptor cell type...

Microtia is a congenital deformity of the ear with an incidence of about 0.8-4.2 per 10,000 births. Total auricular reconstruction is the preferred treatment of microtia at present, and one of the core technologies is the preparation of cartilage scaffolds. Autologous costal cartilage is recognized as the best material source for constructing scaffold platforms. However, costal cartilage harvest can lead to donor-site injuries such as pneumothorax, postoperative pain, chest wall scar and deformity. Therefore, with the need of alternative to autologous cartilage, in vitro and in vivo studies of biomaterial scaffolds and cartilage tissue engineering have gradually become novel research hot points in auricular reconstruction research...

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a leading cause of low back pain (LBP). The pathological process of IVDD is associated with inflammatory reactions and extracellular matrix (ECM) disorders. Digoxin is widely used for treating heart failure, and it has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. OBJECTIVE: This study is to investigate the role of digoxin in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration as well as the involved molecular mechanism, particularly the potential target protein...

Atrazine (ATZ) is an herbicide commonly used on crops in the Midwestern US and other select global regions. The US Environmental Protection Agency ATZ regulatory limit is 3 parts per billion (ppb; µg/L), but this limit is often exceeded. ATZ has a long half-life, is a common contaminant of drinking water sources, and is indicated as an endocrine disrupting chemical in multiple species. The zebrafish was used to test the hypothesis that an embryonic parental ATZ exposure alters protein levels leading to modifications in morphology and behavior in developing progeny...