The development of the vertebral column.

1 Introduction and Review of the Literature.- 2 Material and Methods.- 3 Findings.- 3.1 Stage I (ca. 3 mm).- 3.1.1 Summary.- 3.2 Stage II (ca. 3.5 mm).- 3.2.1 Axial Relations.- 3.2.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.2.3 Summary.- 3.3 Stage III (ca. 4 mm).- 3.3.1 Axial Relations.- 3.3.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.3.3 Summary.- 3.4 Stage IV (ca. 4.5 mm).- 3.4.1 Axial Relations.- 3.4.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.4.3 Summary.- 3.5 Stage V (ca. 5 mm).- 3.5.1 Axial Relations.- 3.5.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.5.3 Summary.- 3.6 Stage VI (ca. 5.5 mm).- 3.6.1 Axial Relations.- 3.6.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.6.3 Summary.- 3.7 Stage VII (ca. 6 mm).- 3.7.1 Axial Relations.- 3.7.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.7.3 Summary.- 3.8 Stage VIII (ca. 6.5-7 mm).- 3.8.1 Axial Relations.- 3.8.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.8.3 Summary.- 3.9 Stage IX (ca. 7.5-8.5 mm).- 3.9.1 Axial Relations.- 3.9.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.9.3 Summary.- 3.10 Stage X (ca. 9-10 mm).- 3.10.1 Axial Relations.- 3.10.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.10.3 Summary.- 3.11 Stage XI (ca. 10.5-12.5 mm).- 3.11.1 Axial Relations.- 3.11.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.11.3 Summary.- 3.12 Stage XII (ca. 13-16 mm).- 3.12.1 Axial Relations.- 3.12.2 Lateral Relations.- 3.12.3 Summary.- 4 Discussion.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Early Differentiation of the Somite Mesoderm.- 4.2.1 Dermatome.- 4.2.2 Myotome.- 4.2.3 Somitic Mesenchyme.- 4.3 Development of the Axial Mesenchyme.- 4.4 Development of the Somitic Mesenchyme.- 4.4.1 Segmentation Process in the Somitic Mesenchyme.- 4.4.2 Differentiation of the Somitic Mesenchyme into the Mesenchymatous Primordium of the Axial Skeleton.- 4.4.2.1 Metameric Condensations: Arcual and Costal Processes.- 4.4.2.2 Axial Somitic Mesenchyme (Transverse Commissure).- 4.4.2.3 Perichordal Tube.- 4.4.2.4 Linkage Between Lateral and Axial Segmentation.- 4.4.2.5 Origin of the Mesenchymal Vertebral Bodies.- 4.4.2.6 Blastema of Vertebral Processes and its Relationship with the Blastemic Vertebral Body.- 4.4.3 Differentiation of the Somitic Mesenchyme in Relation to the Development of the Peripheral Spinal Nervous System.- 4.5 Differentiation into Cartilaginous Axial Skeleton.- 4.6 Differentiation of Myotomes Morphology of the Developing Myotome.- 4.7 The Notochord.- 4.8 Some Remarks on the "Neugliederung" Concept with Special Attention to Autotomy.- 5 Summary and Conclusions.- References.- Author Index.