Pericytes, which are also known as Rouget cells or perivascular cells, are considered to represent a likely distinct pool of vascular cells that are extremely branched and located mostly in the periphery of the vascular system. The family of pericytes is a heterogeneous cell population that includes pericytes and pericyte-like cells. Accumulated data indicate that networks of pericyte-like cell...

The ossification level of tarsal bones and the distal end of the tibia in human foetuses of both sexes from 4 to 9 month gestational age was estimated. Our results show that ossification of the cartilaginous model tarsal bones begins from 6 to 7 months of the gestational age with the appearance of a single ossification point in the ankle bone and two ossification points in the heel bone with th...

Of 20 children who underwent cochlear implantation for profound sensorineural hearing loss secondary to bacterial meningitis, 14 had round-window and cochlear ossification at surgery. Preoperative polytomography demonstrated ossification in 11 of these. The incidence of ossification was highest after meningitis secondary to pneumococcal pneumonia. In only one of four children with severe ossifi...

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a multi-factorial disease involving an ectopic bone formation of spinal ligaments. It affects 0.8-3.0% aging Asian and 0.1-1.7% aging European Caucasian. The ossified ligament compresses nerve roots in the spinal cord and causes serious neurological problems such as myelopathy and radiculopathy. Research in understanding pathogenesis...

Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with polydactyly and syndactyly of the limbs and a broad spectrum of craniofacial abnormalities. Craniosynostosis of the metopic suture (interfrontal suture in mice) is an important but rare feature associated with GCPS. GCPS is caused by mutations in the transcription factor GLI3, which regulates Hedgehog signaling. ...

PURPOSE: Trauma-induced heterotopic ossification (tHO) is the aberrant growth of ectopic bone in soft tissue, which develops in patients following severe musculoskeletal trauma. Much of HO literature focuses on a related pathology known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), which is caused by a hyperactivating mutation in the type I bone morphogenetic protein receptor (T1-BMPR) ACVR1 ...

Clinical symptoms of stylohyoid chain ossification vary from ear pain to dysphagia. It is usually diagnosed coincidentally. Localized ossification of the chain is common, whereas diffuse ossification is rare. Herein, a case with bilateral diffuse stylohyoid chain ossification diagnosed with computed tomography, which was performed in order to evaluate the patient's temporomandibular joint pain,...

We evaluated the incidence of heterotopic ossification following total ankle replacement to determine whether the degree of ossification was associated with the clinical outcome. We evaluated 90 ankles in 81 consecutive patients who underwent total ankle replacement, and heterotopic ossification was assessed according to proportional involvement of the ankle joint. Correlation analysis was used...

The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility and diagnostic accuracy of the ossification grade of medial clavicular epiphysis on chest radiographs for identifying Korean adolescents and young adults under the age of majority. Overall, 1,151 patients (age, 16-30) without any systemic disease and who underwent chest radiography were included for ossification grading. Two radiologists independ...