In the adult, the region where two skeletal bones meet and articulae is called a "joint". In the adult, there are a range of adult joint types based upon their anatomical structure, mobility and shape of the joint. In the embryo, the majority of the vertebrate skeleton is initially formed as a cartilage template, that is later replaced by bone except at the interface between two adjacent bones, leaving in the adult a layer of cartilage in this region. The musculoskeletal system consists of skeletal muscle, bone, and cartilage and is mainly mesoderm in origin with some neural crest contribution. |
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Gene Recombination in Developing Joints (Images: BMP Receptor Signaling Is Required for Postnatal Maintenance of Articular Cartilage Rountree RB, Schoor M, Chen H, Marks ME, Harley V, et al. PLoS Biology Vol. 2, No. 11, e355 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0020355) |
Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings | Joint Types | Synovial Joint Development | Joint Molecular Development | Joint Abnormalities | Histology | References | Glossary | Development Terms
Khan IM, Redman SN, Williams R, Dowthwaite GP, Oldfield SF, Archer CW. The development of synovial joints. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2007;79:1-36.
"The position of future joints is first delimited by areas of higher cell density called interzones initially through an as yet unidentified inductive signal, subsequently specification of these regions is controlled hierarchically by wnt14 and gdf5, respectively. Joint-forming cell fate although specified is not fixed, and joints will fuse if growth factor signaling is perturbed."
Iwamoto M, Tamamura Y, Koyama E, Komori T, Takeshita N, Williams JA, Nakamura T, Enomoto-Iwamoto M, Pacifici M. Transcription factor ERG and joint and articular cartilage formation during mouse limb and spine skeletogenesis. Dev Biol. 2007 May 1;305(1):40-51.
"ets transcription factor ERG is part of molecular mechanisms leading chondrocytes into a permanent developmental path and become joint forming cells, and may do so by acting downstream of joint master regulator protein GDF-5"
Classification
Fibrous (synarthrodial) - immoveable joints found in cranial vault and teeth
Cartilagenous (synchondroses and sympheses) - partially moveable joints
Synovial (diarthrosis) - freely moveable joints are the most common found in the skeleton
Movement
Hinge - (elbow and knee) Flexion/Extension
Pivot - (neck, atlas and axis bones) Rotation of one bone around another
Ball and Socket - (shoulder and hip)
Saddle - (thumb)
Condyloid - (wrist joints)
Gliding - (intercarpal joints) Gliding movements
Skeletal joint cavity development (cavitation) occurs along planes of the future articular surfaces of synovial joints. A number of different markers have been shown to be present in the interzone at the time of cavitation (hyaluronan and hyaluronan synthase, but not chondroitin sulphates).
Fibroblast-like cells (and/or adjacent chondrocytes) with uridine-diphospho glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGD) activity contribute to glycosaminoglycan levels (increases in hyaluronan). These cells are located on the intimal surface of the synovial lining and have been suggested as the possible cavitation mechanism, switching from cellular cohesion to dissociation.
(Data: Edwards JC, Wilkinson LS, Jones HM, Soothill P, Henderson KJ, Worrall JG, Pitsillides AA. The formation of human synovial joint cavities: a possible role for hyaluronan and CD44 in altered interzone cohesion. J Anat. 1994 Oct;185 ( Pt 2):355-67.)
Gene Recombination in Developing Joints
(Image: Rountree RB, Schoor M, Chen H, Marks ME, Harley V, Mishina Y, Kingsley DM. BMP receptor signaling is required for postnatal maintenance of articular cartilage. PLoS Biol. 2004 Nov;2(11):e355.)
FGFR-Related Craniosynostosis Syndromes
Pfeiffer syndrome, Apert syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Beare-Stevenson syndrome, FGFR2-related isolated coronal synostosis, Jackson-Weiss syndrome, Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans (AN), and Muenke syndrome (More? GeneReviews - FGFR-Related Craniosynostosis Syndromes)
Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (More? GeneReviews - Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia)
Temporomandibular disorders
Osteoarthritis
Links to related WWW sites with Histological images for Skeleton/ Muscle/ Connective Tissue system.
Note that all internet links change with time if link does not work use text shown to search WWW.
(Also see All systems)
Links: Journals | Online Textbooks | Reviews | Search PubMed | Glossary
Online Textbooks
Developmental Biology Gilbert, Scott F. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates, Inc. ; c2000 Forming the joints
GeneReviews Pagon, Roberta A., Editor-in-chief; Bird, Thomas C.; Dolan, Cynthia R.; Smith, Richard J.H.; Stephens, Karen; Associate editors. Seattle (WA): University of Washington ; c1993-2008 FGFR-Related Craniosynostosis Syndromes | Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia
Reviews
Khan IM, Redman SN, Williams R, Dowthwaite GP, Oldfield SF, Archer CW. The development of synovial joints. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2007;79:1-36.
Articles
Rountree RB, Schoor M, Chen H, Marks ME, Harley V, Mishina Y, Kingsley DM. BMP receptor signaling is required for postnatal maintenance of articular cartilage. PLoS Biol. 2004 Nov;2(11):e355.)
Mérida-Velasco JA, Sánchez-Montesinos I, Espín-Ferra J, Mérida-Velasco JR, Rodríguez-Vázquez JF, Jiménez-Collado J. Development of the human elbow joint. Anat Rec. 2000 Feb 1;258(2):166-75.
Koyama E, Leatherman JL, Shimazu A, Nah HD, Pacifici M. Syndecan-3, tenascin-C, and the development of cartilaginous skeletal elements and joints in chick limbs. Dev Dyn. 1995 Jun;203(2):152-62.
Edwards JC, Wilkinson LS, Jones HM, Soothill P, Henderson KJ, Worrall JG, Pitsillides AA. The formation of human synovial joint cavities: a possible role for hyaluronan and CD44 in altered interzone cohesion. J Anat. 1994 Oct;185 ( Pt 2):355-67.)
Search PubMed
Search July 2008 "Joint Development" 16865 reference articles of which 2632 were reviews.
Search PubMed: term = Joint Development | Synovial Joint Development |
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chondroprogenitor cells
Hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate) glycosaminoglycan found in joint fluid, space filling role in resisting compressive forces.
interzones initial sites of higher cell density at the position of future joints.
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Page under Development (notice removed when complete)
The mesoderm forms nearly all the connective tissues of the musculoskeletal system. Each tissue (cartilage, bone, and muscle) goes through many different mechanisms of differentiation.
These note therefore have many different pages covering each of tissue, as well as information about limb development. Use the left hand menu to go to a specific topic of interest.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.