551 Vol. 32, pp. 551559, 2004 : 16 12 20 neurocentral synchondrosis 38 37 No. 372 1 0 16 3 8 Fig. 1 123456 Figs. 1 & 2 centrum 1 45 neurocentral synchondrosis 7891011 7 33
552 Figure 1. Ossification centers and neurocentral joints of the vertebra Superior posterior view of the middle thoracic vertebra. The ossification of the vertebra begins with three ossification centers indicated by gray ovals. The three ossification centers, which appeared in the fetus, are synchondrosis at birth. Within one year after birth, two of the ossification centers fused in the area bold dotted line, which corresponds to the spinous process and forms a vertebral arch. The area bold line, where the arch and body fuse, called neurocentral joint. As the neurocentral joint located within the vertebral body, the arch contributes to the posterior lateral part of the body. The part anterior to the neurocentral joint is called the centrum, which occupies most of the body. We focus on the neurocentral joint in this study. Piersol 2 4 6 Romanes 12 37 Birkner 13 46 L5 67 Soames 5,Maat et al. 14, Moore 15, Newell 6 36 Piersol 2 Breathnach 4 Soames 5,Newell 6 Scheuer and Black 16 Figure 2. Afused vertebra the second thoracic vertebra Superior surface of the vertebra fused between the centrum and arch. The arrows indicate the fusion line between the centrum and arch. Note the posterior lateral part of the body consist from the arch. This specimen is estimated to be 5 years old. 17 37 No. 372 1 Table 1 1 38 Ubelaker 18 8 16 Table 1 4 1 Table 1 2 3 C3 5 L5 38 34
553 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Table 1 Figure 3. An unfused vertebral body the seventh thoracic vertebra We can see the symphisis. As the symphisis does not show the spongy bone, it is not the case of the post-mortal damage. This specimen is the same individual as that in Figure 2. Table 1. ossification of the neurocentral synchondrosis in columns 35
554 1 38 20 3 7 3 7 26 5 1 3 3 2 34 4 3 4 7 4 45 5 6 67 6 5 7 6 1 3 3 3 2 66.7 1 33.3 L5 3 100 2 34 34 4 3 75 3 1 25 3 4 4 7 1 6 6 6 100 1 6 3 50 3 50 7 6 85.7 1 14.3 4 45 5 6 67 6 100 1 5 100 6 5 83.3 1 16.7 5 7 7 6 3 50 3 50Th79 1 2 3 4 519202122 4 1622 910 5 5 Bagnall et al. 20 1 2 3 2 4 L5 Ford et al. 23 1 2 3 Breathnach 4 36
555 910 16 T10L1 L5 3 C2 4 1 1 C3L5 Fig. 4 Piersol 2 4 6 Breathnach 4 Newell 6 3 6 Scheuer and Black 16 Table. 13 Th5 10 8 Fig. 4 Scheuer and Black 16 X MRI Rajwani et al. 11 MRI 11 50 5 15 MRI 50 Figure 4. The comparison of the progress of the bony fusion at neurocentral joint. This is the diagram of the progress of the bony fusion at neurocentral joint between C3 and L5. We show the four previous studies with our results. As Breathnach 4 did not indicate the end of the fusion, we show it by dotted lines. All of the results conflict each other. In our results, it begins at about 3 years old from cervical and lumbar vertebrae. Thoracic vertebrae Th510 fuse late and it ends at 8 years old. 37
556 MRI Rajwani et al. 11 3 34 Rajwani et al. 11 1 2 3 4 1 2 2 3 4 1 4 4 3 256131415246 8 252627 2526 3 38
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559 Abstract AStudy of the Postnatal Development of Vertebrae in Medieval Human Bones Keigo Hoshino, Soichiro Tomo, and Kazuaki Hirata In general, the ossification process of the vertebrae begins with the appearance of the ossification centers in fetus. The centers ossify and fuse to each other after birth. Each stage of the development has been studied by several methods. We studied the neurocentral synchondrosis, which was located between the ossification centers of the vertebral arch and centrum in this study. There are many di#erent opinions concerning the order of bony fusion closure of the neurocentral synchondrosis in the vertebral. In this study, we reported the bony fusion closure of the neurocentral synchondroses by macroscopic observation of the 38 Japanese excavated human bones 37 Yuigahama minami site, 1 Yuigahama Cyuusei-Syuudan-Boti site No. 372. The estimated ages of the bone specimens were 0 to 16 years. The closure of the neurocentral synchondrosis begins at the age of 3 years in inferior lumbar vertebrae. Then it begins in cervical vertebrae. The closure progresses from the superior and inferior vertebral column to the middle of it. The closure of the neurocentral synchondrosis ends with the middle thoracic vertebrae at about 8 years of age. These results o#er a new method for age estimation by human bone. We consider these to be valuable data for accurate estimation of age. Department of Anatomy, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan. 41