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BACKGROUND: As a unique structure of cervical vertebra, the occurrence and development of uncinate joint are closely related to the stability and range of motion of cervical vertebra, but it is also closely related to the incidence of cervical spondylosis. Understanding the developmental characteristics of uncinate joint is of great significance to the type, diagnosis and treatment of cervical spondylosis. OBJECTIVE: To find the changing rules of uncinate process with age and increasing vertebral order by measuring the related diameters of uncinate process in cervical uncinate joints of different ages. METHODS: In a retrospective study, the imaging data of 1 447 cases of cervical vertebrae of different ages were collected. According to the age, they were divided into < 10 years, 10-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, ≥ 60 years groups. The uncinate process length, width, height, uncinate-transverse distance, uncinate process distance, anterior foot distance and posterior foot distance of uncinate process were measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The results showed that there were differences between males and females in the related structure of uncinate process, and the length, height and width of uncinate process increased slowly with the increase of vertebral sequence and age. The distance between uncinate process, the distance between the front foot of uncinate process and the distance between the posterior foot of uncinate process increased slowly with the increase of vertebral sequence, but the distance between them did not change significantly with the increase of age. The distance between hook and transverse increased slowly with the increase of vertebral order, but the change with age was not significant. (2) These results have concluded that there are gender and lateral differences in the uncinate process related structure of the uncinate joint of the cervical vertebra, and the overall trend increases slowly with the increase of age and vertebral order. Mastering the aging characteristics and development law of the uncinate joint can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of related cervical spondylosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There is a high similarity of the cervical vertebrae between rhesus monkeys and human, both in terms of the number of cervical vertebrae and the anatomical structure of cervical vertebrae, especially the uncinate joints, which are unique to the cervical vertebrae, so they can be used as an ideal animal experimental model. However, there are few reports on the mechanical comparative study between the two. OBJECTIVE: To establish the finite element model of adult human cervical vertebra and adult rhesus monkey cervical vertebra, to compare the characteristics of stress and displacement of the uncinate joint between human and rhesus monkey cervical vertebra under six working conditions by means of finite element analysis, and to provide theoretical basis for clinical vertebral replacement. METHODS: A 40-year-old adult volunteer and a 7-year-old adult male rhesus monkey were scanned by spiral CT. The original cervical vertebra CT data were introduced into Mimics 21.0 to establish a preliminary three-dimensional model. Through the optimization, assignment, assembly and other tissue grids of each segment of cervical vertebra, intervertebral disc, ligament and so on, the cervical vertebra finite element model was constructed by Abaqus, and 75 N additional load and 1 N·m external force couple moment were loaded on the model. Comparative mechanical analysis was carried out under six working conditions of flexion, extension, lateral area and rotation, in order to find the mechanical change trend and difference between them. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Both human and rhesus monkey cervical vertebrae had the unique structure of uncinate joint of cervical vertebrae. Through finite element modeling, the stress and displacement changes of the uncinate joint between them were basically consistent, and the stress and displacement concentration points were all at C5. There was a significant difference between them. (2) However, the cervical vertebra of rhesus monkey can be used as the best candidate animal for clinical cervical vertebra animal model, and provide theoretical basis for artificial cervical vertebra replacement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]