The spinal column is separated into the 7 cervical vertebra, the 12 thoracic vertebra, the 5 lumbar vertebra, the 5 sacral vertebra and the 4 coccygeal vertebra. The cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebra are named as the movable vertebra and the sacral and coccygeal vertebra are named as the fixed vertebra. The lumbar spine includes five large vertebra situated between the rela-tively immobile rib cage and the pelvis. A typical lumbar vertebra has 2 main structures which are vertebral body and vertebral arch. The vertebral body is the anterior portion of a vertebra and the vertebral arch is the posterior portion of it and surrounds the vertebral foramen. In contrast to thoracic vertebra, lumbar vertebra has a wide disc space, sagittally oriented facets, and suf-ficient space between its lamina to permit a considerable range of motion. This report will explains some important normal anatomic features of the lumbar spine and sacrum including with their musclatures and neurovascular structures.
Pelvis ; Physiology* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Ribs ; Sacrum ; Spine*

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of the expanded capsule on biomechanics of the transplanted autologous costal cartilage.

METHODSTen New Zealand white rabbits aged 3 months were involved and four 15 ml tissue expanders were implanted symmetrically on the back of each rabbit. After 1 month, expanded capsules were removed (experimental group) on the left side and were reserved (control group) on the right side. Meanwhile, the 6th and 7th costal cartilage without the perichondrium were taken out and each cartilage was divided into two pieces and put under the expanded capsule symmetrically. The cartilage at the upper sides and lower sides were taken out at 4 weeks and 8 weeks later, respectively. All the cartilages were sculptured for the demand of the machine text. The tension and compression property of the cartilages were assessed by the material testing machine (Instron 5967) and the results were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS8 weeks lateral, the average ultimate tension strength was (4. 954 + 2. 8) MPa in experimental group and (2.939 + 0.842) MPa in control group. The average compressive strength was (58.74 ± 13.77) MPa in experimental group, and (47.61 ± 11.41) MPa in control group. The biomechanics property of the cartilages in the experimental group is better than the control group, and the differences were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSRemoving the expanded capsule is benefical to maintain the biomechanics of autologous costal cartilage.

Animals ; Autografts ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Costal Cartilage ; physiology ; transplantation ; Humans ; Rabbits ; Ribs ; Tissue Expansion ; Tissue Expansion Devices

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence on costal cartilage reparative regeneration by replanting the small blocks of autogeneic cartilage into the perichondrial pocket at the donor-site.

METHODS16 rabbits (8-10 weeks old, 1.8-2.2 kg) were randomly divided into four groups as three experimental groups and one control group. The 1.5 cm in length of costal cartilage defect was made in experimental groups with the perichondrium and costochondral junction left completely intact. The cartilage defect was closed by 3 methods as saturation directly, or replanting the small blocks of autogeneic cartilage, or plugging bio-protein jelly after cartilage replanting. Each experimental group was handled with two methods in two sides of costal cartilage. No operation was performed in control group. All the rabbits were sacrificed 16 weeks after operation. The appearance of thoracic cage and new-formed tissue at the defect site were examined grossly. Haematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to evaluate the characteristics of new-formed tissues and biomechanical detection was used to measure intension of new-formed tissues.

RESULTSThe appearance of thoracic cage was normal in every experimental group. Histological study showed that the defect was filled with abundant fibrous tissue in each group. The chipping of cartilage survived effectively with little proliferation. Biomechanical detection showed that the intension of new-formed tissue in the non-replanted group [(193.92 +/- 41.41) N] was obviously less than that in the replanted group [(318.88 +/- 28.28) N], or bio-protein jelly group [(301.00 +/- 39.52) N], or control group [(300.54 +/- 38.35) N] (P < 0.01). Furthermore, there was no statistical difference between the latter three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAlthough replanting the chipping of cartilage can't promote reparative regeneration of hyaline cartilage, it can definitively strengthen the intensity of new-formed tissue, reinforce thoracic stability. It may also indirectly decrease the incidence rate of postoperative chest wall deformity.

Animals ; Cartilage ; transplantation ; Male ; Rabbits ; Regeneration ; Ribs ; physiology ; surgery ; Transplantation, Autologous

OBJECTIVETo investigate the age-related change in biomechanical properties of the costal cartilage and its relevance to the timing of ear reconstruction with costal cartilage framework.

METHODSThe patients of 5 to 25 years old were divided into three groups according to their age. The biomechanical properties of costal cartilage harvested from these patients during ear reconstruction were tested, including stree-strain relationship, stress relaxation and creep, tensile strength. All the results were analyzed statistically.

RESULTSThe costal cartilage from children group had the best biomechanical properties, while the costal cartilage from the adolescent group had the worst. The difference had a statistically significance (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe biomechanical properties of costal cartilage are age-related. So it is recommended that ear reconstruction with costal cartilage framework should be performed in childhood when the costal cartilage has the best biomechanical properties.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Cartilage ; physiology ; transplantation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Ear Auricle ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Ribs ; physiology ; transplantation ; Stress, Mechanical ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the difference of histologic examination and type II collagen expression in the rib cartilage of patients at different age.

METHODSThe patients were divided into three groups, as children group (5 to 10 years old), teenager group (11 to 17 years old), and adult group (18 to 29 years old). Histologic examination of rib cartilage and quantitative analysis of type II collagen with immunohistochemical stain were carried out in the three groups. Motic Med 6.0 A system was used to quantitate immunohistochemical image through measurement of mean photodensity. The results were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the three groups, the children's rib cartilage had the most blood vessels, the most chondrocytes, well-distributed stain of matrixes, and the type II collagen was expressed actively and highest in photodensity. The rib cartilage of teenager group had less blood vessels, unhomogeny distributed stain of matrixes, the enlarged and separated cartilage lacunae. The rib cartilage in adult group showed the least blood vessels, the least chondrocytes, the hyalinization of perichondrium, the most deposition of calcium salt, and the type II collagen was expressed at the lowest level in photodensity. Statistical analysis showed significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSHistologic structure in human rib cartilage changes during the aging process and the type II collagen is decreased with the increase of age.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aging ; physiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chondrocytes ; metabolism ; Collagen Type II ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Ribs ; anatomy & histology ; metabolism ; Young Adult

The traditional costicartilage analysis inspection is limited to morphological inspection. In recent years, with the development of forensic radiology and molecular genetics, the costicartilage analysis inspection technology has been further enriched and developed. At present, the costicartilage analysis inspection technology have been able to be used in the practice of forensic medicine. This paper reviews the research advances about the costicartilage analysis inspection technology in the identification of human gender, age and so on in order to provide the references for forensic appraisers.
Age Determination by Skeleton/methods* ; Age Factors ; Calcification, Physiologic ; Cartilage/physiology* ; DNA/isolation & purification* ; DNA Fingerprinting/methods* ; Female ; Forensic Anthropology ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Ribs/physiology* ; Sex Characteristics ; Sex Determination Analysis/methods*