Two research centers joined to study the development of numerous malformations of the vertebral column in 30 mutants of the laboratory mouse: the Department of Anatomy of the University of Zurich, that has long been a center of research in vertebral anatomy and pathology, and the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, the largest center of research in mouse genetics. This volume describes the normal and abnormal morphogenesis of vertebrae and summarizes the data presently available in order to give better insight into the developmental mechanics of the vertebral column.

1 Introduction

1.1 Early Experiments
1.2 Experiments in the Chick
2 Developmental Genetics of the Mouse Vertebral Column: Normal Development
2.1 First Somites
2.2 Differentiation of Somites
2.3 Analysis of Frontal Sections of the Vertebral Column
2.4 Relations in Sagittal Sections
2.5 Analysis of Tail Development: Refutation of Resegmentation
2.6 Chondrification of Vertebrae and Differentiation of Discs
2.7 Differentiation of Unco-vertebral Joints
2.8 Ossification
2.9 The Special Situation in the Neck
3 Abnormal Development
3.1 Disorders of the Notochord
3.2 Disorders of Segmentation
3.3 Disorders of Sclerotome Differentiation
3.4 Disorders of Vertebrae in Combination with Severe Anomalies of the Neural Tube
3.5 Other Genes Affecting the Tail
4 Summary and Conclusions
4.1 Normal Development
4.2 Malformations
References.