京都大学 大学院医学研究科 人間健康科学系専攻 病理学研究室（形態形成医療科学）

高石くんの卒業論文「膝関節の形態形成; EFICを用いた３次元的解析」がOsteoarthritis Cartilage ( 特集号Imaging in Osteoarthritis）に掲載されました。

9. Takaishi R, Aoyama T, Takakuwa T, et al; Three-dimensional reconstruction of rat knee joint using episcopic fluorescence image capture, Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2014; 22(10), 1401-1409. 10.1016/j.joca.2014.06.016

• Episcopic fluorescence image capture（EFIC）を用いてラット膝関節腔の発生過程を三次元的に解析
• ラットの膝関節腔は5か所から発生
  • E17；大腿膝蓋関節腔、内外側の大腿半月関節腔が発生し
  • E18；内外側の半月脛骨関節腔が発生する
  • E19；前十字靭帯、後十字靭帯が構築されるのに伴い、靭帯周囲の関節腔が形成
  • E20；関節腔が融合して完成
• 関節腔が形成される原基において細胞の増殖が認められる（EFICでhigh-intensity)事から、関節腔は細胞増殖により能動的に形成される可能性を示唆

Summary

Objective

Development of the knee joint was morphologically investigated, and the process of cavitation was analyzed by using episcopic fluorescence image capture (EFIC) to create spatial and temporal three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions.

Methods

Knee joints of Wister rat embryos between embryonic day (E)14 and E20 were investigated. Samples were sectioned and visualized using an EFIC. Then, two-dimensional image stacks were reconstructed using OsiriX software, and 3D reconstructions were generated using Amira software.

Results

Cavitations of the knee joint were constructed from five divided portions. Cavity formation initiated at multiple sites at E17; among them, the femoropatellar cavity (FPC) was the first. Cavitations of the medial side preceded those of the lateral side. Each cavity connected at E20 when cavitations around the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) were completed.

Conclusion

Cavity formation initiated from six portions. In each portion, development proceeded asymmetrically. These results concerning anatomical development of the knee joint using EFIC contribute to a better understanding of the structural feature of the knee joint.