Striated muscle fiber crossings of the head and neck: a histological study using near-term human fetuses and elderly cadavers

• 발행기관: 대한해부학회
• 저자명: Ji Hyun Kim Kei Kitamura Yohei Honkura Gen Murakami Shin-ichi Abe
• 간행물 정보: 『Anatomy and Cell Biology』Vol.57(4), 570~578쪽, 전체 9쪽
• 주제분류: 의약학 > 의학일반
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2024.12.31

국문 초록

Striated muscle fiber crossings at almost right angle are known to exist in the face, soft palate, pharyngeal wall and tongue. We aimed to identify a specific interface tissue at the crossing. We observed histological sections from 22 halfheads of 12 near-term fetuses at 26-40 weeks (crown-rump length, 215-334 mm). For comparison, we also observed tongue frontal sections from 5 elderly cadavers (75-85 years old). At the angle of mouth as well as in the soft palate and pharyngeal wall, a solitary striated muscle fiber (e.g., levator) consistently crossed a fiber bundle of the antagonist muscle (e.g., depressor), but a solitary-to-solitary fiber interdigitation was unlikely with the antagonist muscle. Near the external nasal orifice as well as in the tongue intrinsic muscle layer, at every section, there was a crossing with an endomysium-to-endomysium contact: the nasalis and platysma muscles and; the vertical and transverse (or inferior longitudinal) tongue muscles. Therein, the functional vectors crossed at almost right angle. Also in adult tongue, the vertical and transverse muscle fibers sometimes (0-2 sites per section) crossed with an endomysium-to-endomysium contact. At the muscle crossing with an endomysium contact, the endomysium and basement membrane seemed to receive a friction stress between two muscles. Although some crossings might disappear due to high muscle activity after birth, not a few of them were likely to maintain. To minimize the mechanical stress, a minute nervous control of the timing, duration and strength of muscle contraction seemed to be necessary.

목차

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

ORCID

Author Contributions

Conflicts of Interest

Funding

References

키워드

Striated muscle fibers Facial muscles Soft palate Intrinsic tongue muscle Mechanoreceptors