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Elastic fibre organization in the intervertebral discs of the bovine tail
Author(s) -
Yu Jing,
Peter C.,
Roberts Sally,
Urban Jill P. G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-7580.2002.00111.x
Subject(s) - collagen fibres , lamella (surface anatomy) , annulus (botany) , elastin , intervertebral disc , anatomy , materials science , elastic fiber , nucleus , composite material , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Elastic fibres have been revealed by both elastin immunostaining and conventional histological orcein‐staining in the intervertebral discs of the bovine tail. These fibres are distributed in all regions of the disc but their organization varies from region to region. In the centre of the nucleus, long (> 150 µm) elastic fibres are orientated radially. In the transitional region between nucleus and annulus, the orientation of the elastic fibres changes, producing a criss‐cross pattern. In the annulus itself, elastic fibres appear densely distributed in the region between the lamellae and also in ‘bridges’ across the lamellae, particularly in the adult. Elastic fibres are apparent within the lamellae, orientated parallel to the collagen fibres of each lamella, particularly in the young (12‐day‐old) discs. In the region between the disc and the cartilaginous endplate, elastic fibres appear to anchor into the plate and terminate there. The results of this study suggest that elastic fibres contribute to the mechanical functioning of the intervertebral disc. The varying organization of the elastic fibres in the different regions of the disc is likely to relate to the different regional loading patterns.