Human fetal topographical anatomy of the femoral triangle in relation with change in the hip joint position.

Fetal hip joint is characterized by its highly flexion and lateral rotation although adult anatomy of the femoral nerve and iliofemoral ligament suggested the medial rotation. To investigate topographical anatomy of the femoral nerve, artery and vein in the femoral triangle, we histologically examined 11 fetuses (15-37 weeks). The nerve-vessel topographical relation was basically similar to that in adults, but the fan-like nerve division was seen in the horizontal plane in the smaller specimens in contrast to that included in the sagittal plane in the larger specimens.

Variation of the subscapularis tendon at the fetal glenohumeral joint.

We examined the topohistology of the subscapularis tendon at the glenohumeral joint in 10 mid-term (15-16 weeks of gestation) and 10 late-stage (27-32 weeks) human fetuses. At both stages, there were two patterns of terminal course of the subscapularis tendon: 1) the tendon was tightly attached to the medial part of the joint capsule and extended anterosuperiorly along the capsule to the lesser tubercle (7/10 mid-term fetuses; 5/10 late-stage fetuses); 2) the tendon passed superiorly through the joint cavity for a long distance in combination with the subcoracoid bursa opening widely to the joint cavity (3/10 mid-term fetuses; 5/10 late-stage fetuses). The lower glenoid labrum tended to be well developed in the former pattern because the subscapularis tendon did not interfere with the superior extension of the labrum.

Morphology of plantar interdigital neuroma: a comparative cadaveric study of elderly Finnish and Japanese individuals.

To examine morphological differences in Morton's interdigital neuroma between two elderly human populations, we conducted comparative study using 40 Japanese (27 males, 13 females; mean age, 81.2 years) and 21 Finnish (6 males, 15 females; mean age, 80.5 years) cadavers.

Expression of carbonic anhydrase in the fetal eye and extra-ocular tissues.

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) plays a critical functional role in the ciliary body and retina for maintenance of microenvironment. With immunohistochemistry using orbital contents from 8 human fetuses (12-16 weeks of gestation), we examined expressions of CAs isozymes-1, 2, 3, 6, 7 9 and 12 and found strong reactivity of CA9 in extra-ocular fibrous tissues in the anterior and posterior eyes. CA9 is known to express in the fetal joint cartilage to maintain pH against hypoxia: actually, in the present specimens, the SO pulley and its tendon was strongly positive for CA9.

Nerve terminal distribution in the human tongue intrinsic muscles: An immunohistochemical study using midterm fetuses.

Intrinsic tongue muscles, especially the transverse and vertical (T&V) muscles, regulate the shape of the tongue. However, little information is available on the nerve distribution pattern in human T&V muscles. Using S100 protein immunohistochemistry for paraffin-embedded histology, we investigated semiserial sagittal or frontal sections of eight human fetal tongues (180-240 mm crown-rump length: CRL).