Morphogenetic development of trochlear groove and thigh muscles from embryo to fetus in humans.

ABSTRACT: Mechanical forces caused by fetal movements are essential for normal musculoskeletal development. However, the relationship between skeletal development and knee joint motion in utero remains unclear. We aimed to clarify the development of lower limb musculoskeletal structures during the embryonic and early fetal stages from a kinematic perspective and to compare muscle and skeletal developmental processes. We analyzed 29 human embryonic and fetal specimens. Using phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, we analyzed the morphogenesis of the knee joint components, trochlear groove angle, and hypothetical joint motion of the thigh muscles in three dimensions. To analyze chronological morphogenesis, Procrustes analysis was performed, and Principal component ana

SUBMITTER: Ishikawa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863510 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature