The stress at the human atlanto-occipital joint. I. the development of the occipital condyle.

The development of the occipital condyle has been observed in human fetuses, neonates, children, and juveniles. In contrast to some authorities, the authors believe the occipital condyle to originate from the basioccipital and the exoccipital of the occipital bone. The bony parts of the condyle are divided by the synchondrosis intraoccipitalis anterior. The rostral area on the basioccipital occupies about one-fourth to one-seventh of the surface of the subchondral bone. The sequence and mode of ossification of the synchondrosis intraoccipitalis anterior has been investigated. A causality between the synchondrosis and the occasionally observed subdivisions of the articular surface in the adult does not exist.