Light and electron microscopy of the new born sagittal suture

Abstract

Morphogenesis and maturation of the sagittal suture in newborn C57B1/6J strain mice were studied using light and electron microscopy. Morphodifferentiation of the murine parietal bones progresses radially with the interposed sagittal suture, assuming a greater level of maturity at birth at a midpoint along its length. The presumptive suture develops in a sulcus, deeper posteriorly, more shallow anteriorly. Cells at the osteogenic front (OF) are distinguished from the surrounding fibrocytic cells by a number of distinctive characteristics: 1. increased cytoplasmic density; 2. extensive endoplasmic reticulum; 3. dispersed nuclear chromatin aggregates; 4. extensive surface projections; 5. close approximation. Mineralization of the developing parietal bone occurs extracellularly with the initial deposits of apatite crystals exhibiting no oriented relationship to either cellular or extracellular fibrillar elements. The majority of collagen fibers lie superior and inferior to the presumptive suture, oriented anteroposteriorly with their long axes parallel to the ectocranial surface. Other fiber bundles more intimately associated with the developing suture display a more random orientation.

Adrenergic innervation of the calvarium of the neonatal rat

“…Thus, the convexity of the calvarium was retained and the sandwich (compact-cancellous-compact bone) character of the parietal bones was readily discerned. The suture formed a minor ridge on the convexity, but otherwise conformed well to the description of the sagittal suture in the newborn mice (Decker and Hall 1985). This con- Fig.…”

Editorial: Perspectives on craniosynostosis

“…Sutures develop initially by a wedge-shaped proliferation of cells at the periphery of the extending bone fields-the osteogenic fronts [Decker and Hall, 1985], which appear to govern morphogenetic determination of sutural architecture [Johansen and Hall, 1982;Decker and Hall, 1985;Hall and Decker, 1989]. They approximate each other in one of the two ways.…”

Malformations of the craniofacial region: Evolutionary, embryonic, genetic, and clinical perspectives

“…Sutures develop initially by a wedge-shaped proliferation of cells at the periphery of the extending bone fields-the osteogenic front [Decker and Hall, 1985]. Osteogenic fronts appear to govern morphogenetic determination of sutural architecture [Hall and Decker, 1989;Johansen and Hall, 1982].…”