Vertebral Malformations

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.