Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Postnatal Osteological Development of the Cervical Vertebrae in the New Zealand White Rabbit

  • Published:
Veterinary Research Communications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study used the New Zealand White rabbit to reveal the normal ossification development of the cervical component of the spine. Preserved cervical vertebrae representing five different age periods, each period including five individuals and the total number of animals being 25, were fixed in 3.5% formaldehyde solution and 95% ethanol, followed by a pure acetone bath. The materials were then stained with an alcian blue–alizarin red combination. The ossification centres were identical over time, and the pattern of fusion among them was homogenous and constant in appearance. There were three different primary ossification centres in all the cervical vertebrae except the axis, which showed four primary ossification centres. The dorsally located primary ossification centres later formed the pedicles of the neural arches, while the ventral centres constituted the body of each vertebra. The study was terminated at 10 weeks of age because the ossification centres observed in the cervical vertebrae completed their fusion and no further ossification centres were observed.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alberius, P., 1983. Pattern of membranous and chondral bone growth. A roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis in the rabbit. Acta Anatomica, 116, 37–45

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alberius, P., 1986. Growth of calvarial width, an experimental investigation in rabbits. Acta Anatomica, 125, 263–267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alberius, P. and Isberg, P.E., 1986. The correlation between craniofacial and long bone growth: an experimental investigation in normal rabbits. The American Journal of Anatomy, 177, 519–525

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alberius, P. and Selvik, G., 1983. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis of growth at cranial vault sutures in the rabbit. Acta Anatomica, 117, 170–180

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alberius, P. and Selvik, G., 1986a. Kinematics of cranial vault growth in rabbits. The American Journal of Anatomy, 168, 321–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alberius, P. and Selvik, G., 1986b. Long-term analysis of calvarial growth in rabbits. Anatomia Anzeiger, 162, 153–170

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Altman, P.L. and Dittmer, D.S., 1962. Growth: Including Reproduction and Morphological Development, (Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology, Washington DC)

    Google Scholar 

  • Burbidge, H.M., Thompson, K.C. and Hodge, H., 1995. Postnatal development of canine caudal cervical vertebrae. Research in Veterinary Science, 59, 35–40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, M.M., 1993. Sutural biology and correlates of craniosynostosis. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 47, 581–616

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Copping, R.R., 1978. Microscopic age changes in the frontal bone of the domestic rabbit. Journal of Morphology, 155, 123–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crary, D.D. and Sawin, P.B., 1957. Morphogenetic studies of the rabbit. XVIII. Growth of ossification centers of the vertebral centra during the 21st day. Anatomical Record, 127, 131–150

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dechant, J.J., Mooney, M.P., Cooper, G.M., Smith, T.D., Burrows, A.M., Losken, H.W., Mathijssen, I.M.J. and Siegel, M.I., 1999. Positional changes of the frontoparietal ossification centers in perinatal craniosynostotic rabbits. Journal of Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology, 19, 64–74

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Enlow, D.H. and Brown, S.O., 1958. A comparative histological study of fossil and recent bone tissues. Part III. Texas Journal of Science, 10, 187–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Glattly, A.D. and McKeown, M., 1982. The growth of the rabbit skull in three dimensions—a radiographic cephalometric appraisal. Anatomia Anzeiger, 151, 105–118

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harel, S., Watanabe, K., Linke, I. and Schain, R.J., 1972. Growth and development of the rabbit brain. Biology of Neonate, 21, 381–399

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartman, H.A., 1974. The fetus in experimental teratology. In: S.H. Weisbroth, R.E. Flatt and A.L. Kraus (eds.), The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit, (Academic Press, New York), 92–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Jowsey, J., 1968. Age and species differences in bone. Cornell Veyerinary Journal, 58, 74–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Khermosh, O., Tadmor, O. and Weissman, S.L., 1972. Growth of femur in the rabbit. Aerican Journal of Veterinary Research, 33, 1079–1082

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, B.K., Song, F., Morrison, W.B., Grauer, J.N., Beiner, J.M., Vaccaro, A.R., Hilibrand, A.S. and Albert, T.J., 2004. Morphologic evaluation of cervical spine anatomy with computed tomography: anterior cervical plate fixation considerations. Journal of Spinal Disorder Techniques, 17, 102–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, A.L. and Kuhn, J.L., 1997. Characterization of regional and age-related variations in the growth of rabbit distal femur. Journal of Orthopedic Research, 15, 353–361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, P., 1948. Certain aspects of the growth pattern of the rabbit's skull as revealed by alizarine and metallic implants. The Angle Orthodontist, 18, 27

    Google Scholar 

  • Pourlis, A.F., Magras, I.N. and Pedridis, D., 1998. Ossification and growth rates of the limb long bones during the prehatching period in the quail. Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, 27, 61–63

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rudicel, S., Lee, E. and Pelker, R., 1984. Dimensions of the rabbit femur during growth. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 46, 268–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarnat, B.G. and Selman, A.J., 1978. Growth pattern of the rabbit nasal bone region. A combined serial gross and radiographic study with metallic implants. Acta Anatomica, 101, 193–201

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sawin, P.B. and Crary, D.D., 1956. Morphogenetic studies of the rabbit. XVI. Quantitative racial differences in ossification pattern of the vertebrae of embryos as an approach to basic principles of mammalian growth. American Journal of Physiology and Anthropology, 14, 625–648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singhal, V.K., Mooney, M.P., Burrows, A.M., Wigginton, W., Losken, H.W., Smith, T.D., Towbin, R. and Siegel, M.I., 1997. Age related changes in intracranial volume in craniosynostotic rabbits using 3-D CT scans. Plastic Reconstraction Surgery, 100, 1121–1128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tanner, J.M. and Sawin, P.B., 1953. Morphogenetic studies of the rabbit. XI. Genetic differences in the growth of the vertebral column and their relation to growth and development in man. Journal of Anatomy, 87, 54–65

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars

    I. Kürtül

  2. Mudurnu Vocational School of Higher Education, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu

    H. Atalgın

  3. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey

    E. U. Bozkurt

Authors
  1. I. Kürtül
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Atalgın
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. U. Bozkurt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. Kürtül.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kürtül, I., Atalgın, H. & Bozkurt, E.U. Postnatal Osteological Development of the Cervical Vertebrae in the New Zealand White Rabbit. Vet Res Commun 31, 643–651 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-007-3474-x

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-007-3474-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation