Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prenatal morphogenesis of the human incisive canal

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Anatomy and Embryology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The literature describing the formation of the incisive canal is very bizarre. The fusion of the primary and secondary palatal processes leads to formation of a triangular seam, which erroneously has been taken for the future incisive canal. If so, the nasopalatine (incisive) nerve and its accompanying vessels were to run through the primary oronasal cavity, which is not compatible with our biological experience. This study was undertaken to shed light on this region of fusion. We focus on the formation of the incisive canal; the neighboring nasopalatine ducts, which are a transient formation, are mentioned where present. A series of seven horizontal cross-sections of human embryos and fetuses from the 7th to the 24th week of pregnancy (between 25 and 225 mm CRL, crown-rump-length) were examined histologically and partly reconstructed in 3D applying the software analySIS (Soft Imaging Systems, Münster, Germany). The incisive canal did not develop at the junction of the primary and the secondary palate, but within the primary palate rostral to that location. The nasopalatine nerve and the nasopalatine artery are structures that exist before ossification starts in the area of the future incisive canal. The neighboring nasopalatine ducts were found in regions laterally and anterolaterally of the nasopalatine nerve, and it was mostly separated from it by bone. In advanced stages of development, the nasopalatine duct only existed as single epithelial remnants and was prone to obliteration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2 a Fig. 3 a Fig. 4 a
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrams AM, Howell FV, Bullock WK (1963) Nasopalatine cysts. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 16(3):306–332

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ashley-Montague MF (1935) The premaxilla in primates. Q R Biol 10:32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellairs Ad’A (1951) Observations on the incisive canaliculi and nasopalatine ducts. Br Dent J 91(11):281–291

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blechschmidt E (1960) The stages of human development before birth. An introduction to human embryology. Die vorgeburtlichen Entwicklungsstadien des Menschen. Eine Einführung in die Humanembryologie. S Karger, London

  • Bollobas E (1984) Fissures, canals and syndesmoses in the fetal maxilla. Acta Morph Hung 32(3-4):231–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Eppley BL, Delfino JJ (1988) Bilateral nasopalatine ducts of the premaxilla. J Maxillofac Surg 17(6):360–362

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eschler J (1966A) Embryologie und Physiologie des menschlichen Zwischenkiefers. Fortschr Kieferorthop 377–390

  • Eschler J (1966B) Untersuchungen über den menschlichen Zwischenkiefer. Verh Anat Ges 409–418

  • Frick H, Leonhardt H, Starck D (1992) Spezielle Anatomie I. Thieme, Stuttgart

  • Gasser RF (ed) (1978) Atlas of human embryos. Harper, New York, p 247

  • Gray H (ed) (1948) Anatomy of the human body. Lea, Philadelphia

  • Griffin CJ (ed) (1984) Embryology of the central part of the face, closure of palate folds, and the maxillo-septal syndrome. Aust Dent J 29(1):15–26

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hill WCO, Darlow HM (1945) Bilateral perforate nasopalatine communication. J Laryngol 160–165

  • Hinrichsen KV (ed) (1990) Humanembryologie. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  • Hoffmann-Axthelm W (ed) (1992) Lexikon der Zahnmedizin. Quintessenz, Berlin

  • Keith DA (1979) Phenomenon of mucous retention in the incisisve canal. J Oral Surg 37:832–834

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kjaer I (1990) Correlated appearance of ossification and nerve tissue in human fetal jaws. J Craniofac Gen Dev Biol 10:329–336

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kjaer I (1995) Human prenatal craniofacial development related to brain development under normal and pathologic conditions. Acta Odontol Scand 53:135–143

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus BS, Kitamura H, Latham RA (eds) (1966) Atlas of developmental anatomy of the face. Harper, New York

  • Krüger E (ed) (1988) Lehrbuch der chirurgischen Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, vol. 1. Quintessenz, Berlin

  • Lanz T von, Wachsmuth W (eds). Praktische Anatomie, vol. 1. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 186–188

  • Lautenbach E (ed) (1992) Wörterbuch Zahnmedizin. Dausien, Hanau

  • Meyer W (1958) Histologie der Mundhöhle. In: Meyer W (ed) Die Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, vol. 1. Urban, München, p 247

  • Mjör IA, Fejerskov O (eds) (1986) Human oral embryology and histology. Munksgaard, Copenhagen

  • Moore KL (ed) (1985) Embryologie. Schattauer, Stuttgart

  • Neumann K, Moegelin A, Temminghoff N, Radlanski RJ, Langford A, Unger M, Langer R, Bier J (1997) 2D-Computed tomography: a new method for the evaluation of fetal cranial morphology. J Craniofac Gen Dev Biol 17(1):9–22

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noyes HJ (1935) Nasopalatine duct and Jacobson’s oragn in newborn infants. J Dent Res 15:155

    Google Scholar 

  • Radlanski RJ (1993) Contributions to the development of human deciduous tooth primordia. Quintessence, Berlin

  • Radlanski RJ, Renz H, Müller U, Schneider RA, Marcucio RS, Helms JA (2002) Prenatal morphogenesis of the human mental foramen. Eur J Oral Sci 110:452–459

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Razek HA (ed) (1978) Atlas der Embryologie. Enke, Stuttgart

  • Roche AG (ed) (1993) Lexikon Medizin. Urban, München

  • Samandari F (ed) (1995) Funktionelle Anatomie für Zahnmediziner, vol. 1. Quintessenz, Berlin

  • Saunders LA, Wisniewski H, Soumerai S (1968) Extensive incisive canal cyst. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 26:284–290

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schiebler TH, Schmidt W, Zilles K (eds) (1995) Anatomie. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  • Schumacher GH (ed) (1984) Anatomie für Stomatologen, vol. 1. Barth, Leipzig

  • Sieglbauer F (ed) (1963) Lehrbuch der normalen Anatomie des Menschen. Urban, München

  • Sobotta J (1993) In: Putz R, Pabst R (eds) Atlas der Anatomie des Menschen, 20th edn. Urban, München

  • Sperber G (ed) (1989) Craniofacial Embryology, vol. 4. Wright, London

  • Sperber G (ed) (2001) Craniofacial Development. Decker, Hamilton

  • Starck D (ed) (1975) Embryologie. Thieme, Stuttgart

  • Street CH, Mize RR (1983) A simple microcomputer-based three-dimensional serial reconstruction system (MICROS). J Neurosci Metho 7:359–375

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vacher C, Copin H, Sakka M (1999) Maxillary ossification in a series of six human embryos and fetuses aged from 9 to 12 weeks of amonorrhea: clinical implications. Surg Radio Anat 21:261–266

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wehrli FW, Hwang, SN, Song, HK (1998) New architectural parameters derived from micro-MRI for the prediction of trabecular bone strength. Technol Health Care 6:307–320

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wood NK, Wragg LE, Stuteville OH (1967) The premaxilla: embryological evidence that it does not exist in man. Anat Rec 158:485–490

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank PD Dr. J. Männer, Department of Embryology, Center of Anatomy at Göttingen University (Germany) for his most valuable advice in conducting this study. We are indebted to Mrs. Kalinka S. Radlanski, Phoenix, AZ, USA for proofreading our manuscript. Parts of this study have been supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Ra 428/1–3. This study has been undertaken within the frame of the COST B 23-action.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Dentistry and Oral Structural Biology, Klinik und Poliklinik für Zahn- Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Aßmannshauser Strasse 4-6, 14197, Berlin, Germany

    R. J. Radlanski, S. Emmerich & H. Renz

Authors
  1. R. J. Radlanski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Emmerich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Renz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. J. Radlanski.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Radlanski, R.J., Emmerich, S. & Renz, H. Prenatal morphogenesis of the human incisive canal. Anat Embryol 208, 265–271 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-004-0389-y

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-004-0389-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation