Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
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presents
Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics

Limb Development



- See:
      - Anatomy of the Physis
      - Deformities
      - Enchondral Ossification
      - Longitudinal Growth:
      - Pediatric Bone Circulation
      - Salter Harris

- Discussion:
    - at about the 4th week of development, paired upper and lower limb buds appear;
          - the upper limb bud appears at day 25-27;
          - at approx 47 days when the joints of the hand develop;
          - the lower limb bud appears at day 27-29;
    - each limb bud onsists of mesenchyme covered by ectoderm of lateral body wall;
          - mesenchyme of the limb bud derives from lateral body wall, & some if it migrated into limb bud from adjacent somites;
    - development of lower limb lags behind the upper limb;
    - limb buds bend ventrally at sites of future elbows and knees, leaving these structures pointing laterally while the palms and soles facing medially;
    - upper limbs then undergo external rotation while lower limb undergo internal rotation;









The Ectodermal Thickening and Ridge in the Limbs of Staged Human Embryos.   R. O'Rahilly et al.  J. Embrylolgy Experimental Morphology. Vol 4, Part 3, p 254-264.

Development of the upper limb. Zaleske DJ. Development of the upper limb. Hand Clin 1985;1:383-390.

Reconstructing the history of human limb development: lessons from birth defects

The molecular control of upper extremity development: implications for congenital hand anomalies.

The developmental anatomy of the neonatal glenohumeral joint.














Original Text by Clifford R. Wheeless, III, MD.

Last updated by Clifford R. Wheeless, III, MD on Sunday, August 30, 2009 12:24 pm