Week 3 - Development of the limbs, back, shoulder joint and arm Flashcards
Where/when do limb buds appear
Limb buds appear on the ventro-lateral body wall
- Lower limb bud appears after the upper limb bud
- First appear during the fourth week of development
What do limb buds consist of?
A core of proliferating mesenchymal cells with an ectoderm covering
How do limb buds develop?
- Begins with the activation of mesenchyme within lateral mesoderm (derived from the somatic layer of lateral plate mesoderm)
- Elongation is through proliferation of mesenchyme core
- There is thickened ectoderm at the apex of the limb bud (these ectodermal cells divide to form an apical ectodermal ridge)
- Somites form the limb musculature
What are the degrees of symmetry within the embryo at this point?
- Top and bottom (proximal-distal)
- Front and back (dorsal-ventral)
- Side to side (anterior-posterior)
What happens to the notochord?
The remnants of it become marooned by the axial skeleton formation
- This is called the nucleus pulpous
- It is able to herniate (causing a slipped disk)
What does the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) do?
- Critical for limb development
- Orchestrates limb development
- Induces development of the digits within the hand/foot plates
- It marks the boundary between dorsal and ventral limb ectoderm
- Regresses after the appearance of paddles
How does the apical ectodermal ridge orchestrate limb development?
- Exerts an inductive influence on the immediately underlying mesenchyme
- This tells it to remain undifferentiated, so the limb bund can continue to elongate
- Mesenchyme begins to differentiate as it gets further away from the AER, since the signals can no longer have an effect
What is the ‘zone of polarising activity’?
A signalling centre located at the posterior base of the limb bud
- It controls patterning and maintains the AER
- It generates asymmetry in the limbs
How do the hand and foot plates develop?
- Digital rays form:
- – Mesenchyme organises itself into condensations within plates
- – This forms cartilaginous models of the digital bones
- AER breaks up and is maintained only over the tips of the digital rays
- Interdigital spaces are progressively sculpted by programmed cell death
- AER causes the digits to elongate
What controls axis specification?
- Anterior-posterior: zone of polarising activity
- Proximal-distal: AER
- Dorsal-ventral: ectoderm
How do bones form?
- Signals from the AER to remain undifferentiated stop
- Lateral plate mesoderm condenses and differentiates
- Cartilage model forms
- Endochondral ossification
- Primary and secondary ossification centres appear in the epiphyses and maintain bone growth
How do muscles develop from limbs buds?
- Myogenic precursors migrate into limbs from somites
- They coalesce into 2 common muscle masses around the newly formed skeletal elements
- – Ventral = flexor, dorsal = extensor
- Individual muscles then split from common masses
How do limbs rotate during development?
They extend ventrally at first As they elongate they rotate - Upper limb = laterally - Lower limb = medially Before rotation: - Thumbs up, elbows out - Soles facing in and knees out After rotation: - Thumbs out and elbows down - Soles down and knees up
How is the limb bud innervated?
- Upper limb bud appears opposite the caudal cervical spinal segments
- Lower limb bud appears opposite lumbar and sacral spinal segments
- Spinal nerves enter the limb bud early in its development
What are some common limb developmental defects?
- Syndactyly: fusion of digits, may involve just connective tissue or bones may be fused
- Polydactyly: extra digits, genetic recessive trait
- Amelia: complete absence of a limb
- Meromelia: partial absence of 1 or more limb structures
Upper limb affected more often than lower limb
Rare and usually hereditary but teratogen-induced defects have been described
What are the 2 groups of muscles in the back?
- Intrinsic: hold the spine erect, used for posture
- Extrinsic: superficial group and the intermediates (used in respiration)
What are the posterior axio-appendicular muscles?
Muscles that attach the upper limb to the trunk
There are 3 groups:
- Superficial: trapezius, latissimus dorsi
- Deep: levator scapulae, rhomboids (major + minor)
- Scapulo-humeral: deltoid, trees major, 4 rotator cuff muscles
What is the trapezius innervated by?
Accessory nerve
- And proprioreceptor fibres from C3 and C4
What does the trapezius do?
- Directly attaches the pectoral girdle to the trunk
- Acts on scapulothoracic joint
- Divided into 3 parts:
- – Superior: elevates scapula and rotates it during abduction of arm
- – Middle: retracts scapula
- – Inferior: depresses scapula (pulls inferiorly)
How does the scapula rotate?
Superior and inferior parts of trapezius act together
- They rotate the scapula upwards and outwards on chest wall, elevating the glenoid cavity
- Serratus anterior also aids upward rotation
- This rotation is responsible for abduction of the arm above horizontal
What does the latissimus dorsi do?
Extends, adducts and medially rotates upper limn
How is the latissimus dorsi innervated?
By the thoracodorsal nerve
Where is the levator scapulae muscle found?
- Originates from the transverse processes of the C1-C4 vertebrae
- Attaches to the medial border of the scapula
How is the levator scapulae muscle innervated?
By the dorsal scapular nerve and cervical nerves
What are the actions of the levator scapulae muscle?
- Elevates scapula
- Rotates scapula, depressing glenoid cavity
Where is the rhomboid major found?
- Originates from the spinous processes of T2-T5 vertebrae
- Attaches to the medial border of the scapula, below the rhomboid minor
Where is the rhomboid minor found?
- Originates from the spinous processes of C7-T1 vertebrae
- Attaches to the medial border of the scapula, above the rhomboid major
What innervates the rhomboids?
Dorsal scapula nerve
What are the actions of the rhomboids?
Retract and rotate the scapula, depressing the gleaned cavity
What innervates the deltoid?
Axillary nerve
Where is the deltoid found?
- Originates from the scapula and clavicle
- Attaches to the deltoid tuberosity on the lateral surface of the humerus
- Forms rounded part of the shoulder; regimental patch
What are the actions of the deltoid?
- Anterior fibres (clavicular): flexion of arm
- Middle fibres (acromial): abducts arm from 15-90 degrees
- Posterior fibres (spinal): extends arm (along with lat. dorsi)
Where is the teres major found?
- Originates from the posterior surface of the scapula
- Attaches to the intertubecular groove of the humerus
What innervates the teres major?
Lower subscapular nerve
What are the actions of the teres major?
Adducts at the shoulder and medially rotates the arm
What is the rotator cuff?
A collective name given to 4 short muscles that originate from the scapula and attach to the humeral head
- They act to ‘pull’ the humeral head into the glenoid fossa,
which gives the glenohumeral joint a lot of additional stability
- Muscles: supraprinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor
- The muscles all insert into the greater tubercle of humerus
- The tendons blend with each other to form a cuff
- This cuff also fuses with the capsule, strengthening it
What are the actions of the supraspinatus?
- Initiation and first 15 degrees of abduction
- Assists deltoid for 15-90 degrees
What are the actions of the infraspinatus?
Lateral rotation of the arm
What are the actions of the teres minor?
Lateral rotation of the arm
What are the actions of the subscapularis?
Medially rotates the arm
What innervates the supraspinatus?
Suprascapular nerve (C5, C6)
What innervates the infraspinatus?
Suprascapular nerve (C5, C6)
What innervates the teres minor?
Axillary nerve
What innervates the subscapularis?
Upper and lower sub scapular nerve
What is the shoulder joint?
Also called the glenohumeral joint
- A synovial joint of the ball and socket type
- Formed between the articular surfaces of the scapula and the humerus head (both are lined by hyaline cartilage)
- Allows a wide range of movements in multiple planes
- One of the most mobile joints in the human body, but at the cost of joint stability
How is stability achieved in the shoulder joint?
- Muscles of the rotator cuff
- Other muscles
- Ligaments
- Capsule
How and why is the glenoid fossa deepened?
By a fibrocartilage rim, called the glenoid labrum
- This reduces the disproportion in the surfaces (humeral heads much larger than the glenoid fossa)
What is the capsule in the shoulder joint?
A fibrous sheath which encloses the structure of the joint
- It is lax, allowing greater mobility, but tough
What is the capsule of the shoulder joint attached to?
- Glenoid labrum and margins of glenoid cavity of scapula
- Anatomical neck of humerus
Where is synovial membrane found in the shoulder joint?
Lines capsule and bone up to edge of articulating surfaces