Elucidation of growth patterns of the human facial skeleton in utero

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K16922
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56070:Plastic and reconstructive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Katsube Motoki 京都大学, 医学研究科, 助教 (40609583)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 顔面形態形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The normal developmental process of the facial skeleton is essential for understanding the pathogenesis of facial congenital anomaly diseases, but is still poorly understood. The aim of this study is to quantitatively assess the three-dimensional morphological changes of the human facial skeleton during the fetal period and to elucidate the whole picture of the normal developmental pattern.
In recent years, the development of imaging equipment such as CT and MRI has made it possible to carry out accurate morphological analysis using a large number of extremely valuable human fetal specimens, both in Japan and abroad. We are now preparing to report a standard growth model (four-dimensional model) for the entire fetal period by quantitative analysis based on these image data. We have also elucidated and reported on the morphological changes in the skull base, including the sphenoid bone.

Free Research Field

形成外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒト胎児期における顔面骨格の成長発育の解明は先天異常疾患の病態生理解明、胎児超音波診断などにおいても必要不可欠でありその重要性は認知されてきました。しかし、ヒト胚子、胎児標本は非常に貴重であるため、国内、国外ともに研究報告は限られているのが現状です。特に顔面骨格については形態が複雑であるため、その3次元解析の報告は更に限られます。今回の研究成果は、今後の顔面形態の発生研究のみならず先天異常学において重要な基礎データになり得るため、学術的意義は高いと考えています。