Uncovertebral joints – their structure, development and relationships with intervertebral discs of cervical spine

Porzych Piotr, Ratuszek-Sadowska Dorota, Pyskir Małgorzata, Płusa Rafał, Ogurkowski Karol, Dzierżanowski Maciej, Hagner Wojciech. Uncovertebral joints – their structure, development and relationships with intervertebral discs of cervical spine. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2017;7(8):774-785. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.891063

http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/4812

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© The Authors 2017;

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This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial

use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

Received: 01.08.2017. Revised: 02.08.2017. Accepted: 28.08.2017.

Uncovertebral joints – their structure, development and relationships with intervertebral discs of cervical spine

Piotr Porzych1, Dorota Ratuszek-Sadowska1, Małgorzata Pyskir1, Rafał Płusa1,

Karol Ogurkowski1, Maciej Dzierżanowski2, Wojciech Hagner1

1Katedra i Klinika Rehabilitacji, Collegium Medicum im. Ludwika Rydygiera
w Bydgoszczy, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu

2Katedra Fizjoterapii, Zakład Terapii Manualnej, Collegium Medicum im. Ludwika Rydygiera w Bydgoszczy, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu

Abstract

Uncovertebral joints, also referred to as Luschka’s joints, are found from the level of second cervical vertebra down to first or second thoracic vertebra. In adults, they appear as regular spaces in annulus fibrosus between the uncinate processes and round edges of vertebral body above. Their development remains in close relationship with changes occurring in intervertebral discs. The joint space, which is formed by the fissure into the fibrocartilaginous core of the intervertebral disc, widens medially at its rear aspect for a various distance. In aged spines, this space extends into additional, smaller lateral fissures, vast and irregular in shape. It is believed that the changes in the uncinate process’ structure are the outcome of progressing dehydration and narrowing of the intervertebral discs of cervical spine. This results in remodeling of the process, which begins to expand and flatten with age. According to many authors, uncovertebral joints are small synovial articulations, that aren’t yet noticeable at age of 6 to 9 and become fully developed before the age of 18.

There is some controversy on whether they should be classified as true synovial joints. Some researchers claim that they’re an outcome of degenerative processes occurring within the intervertebral discs and therefore shouldn’t be treated as a product of natural development. The presence of synovial tissue within the joints has been a point of some discussions. Recent studies conclusively shown the presence of synoviocytes in the lateral joint capsule tissue of elderly uncovertebral articulations.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure, development and relationships of uncovertebral joints with intervertebral discs of cervical spine.

Key words: uncovertebral joints, uncinate process, development, cervical intervertebral disc