Immunohistochemical and histological study of human uncovertebral joints: a preliminary investigation.

STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive cadaveric study. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anatomy and innervation of the uncovertebral joint to determine if it is synovial in nature and capable of generating pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There is controversy with regard to the anatomic and histological makeup of the uncovertebral interface with some authors considering it a joint and others disc tissue. No research has investigated the presence of pain generating neurotransmitters within the uncovertebral cartilaginous and capsular tissue. METHODS: Tissue from uncovertebral capsule and cartilage was harvested for each uncovertebral surface starting at the C2-C3 to the C6-C7 cervical segment. The tissue was placed in 4% paraformaldehyde fixative, then dehydrated and embedded in paraffin. Ten micron sections were cut through the tissue blocks and mounted on slides. The tissue was rehydrated and either stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) or immunostained with antisera against protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), substance P (SP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). RESULTS: The sample consisted of 2 unembalmed fresh male human cadavers of a mean age of 83 years. Chondrocytes and synoviocytes were identified at the capsular tissue of each uncovertebral interface from C2-C3-C6-C7. Immunoreactivity for PGP 9.5, SP, CGRP, and NPY was observed at all uncovertebral interface levels in capsular tissue. CONCLUSION: The presence of both synoviocytes and chondrocytes has been recorded in the present study, suggesting that the uncovertebral interface is synovial in nature. Immunoreactivity to PGP 9.5, SP, CGRP, and NPY indicates the presence of nerve fibers from both the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. These findings suggest that the uncovertebral joints are potential pain generators in the cervical spine.

Introducing clinical laboratory science: CLS students help shape the future.

OBJECTIVES: The profession of clinical laboratory science (CLS) is in dire need of increased exposure to young people. By introducing the clinical laboratory sciences to students at a critical point in their science education and by making it relevant to their lives, more choices are made available to them when considering future career options. With this in mind, the CLS faculty at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) redesigned a recruitment program and developed it into one making use of CLS student knowledge, enthusiasm, and professionalism. CLS students were given the assignment of designing an entire curriculum for a ten day presentation of clinical laboratory science topics to middle and secondary school students. Following the presentations, participants in the program were asked to provide feedback regarding CLS student performance and overall opinion of their interest in clinical laboratory science. The objectives of this study were twofold: 1) to determine if educational methodologies could be appropriately applied by CLS students to present CLS disciplines to middle and high school students; and 2) to determine if the student presentation was successful in initiating interest in the CLS profession based on outcome measures. DESIGN: As a component of the CLS laboratory management course, CLS students were instructed in education methodologies including objective writing, teaching-unit preparation, and evaluation tool design. In the following semester, these students were divided into groups and assigned a specific CLS discipline that would then be presented to middle and secondary school students in a two week, 30 hour educational program. This program was offered by the TTUHSC CLS program in cooperation with the Institute for the Development and Enrichment of Advanced Learners (IDEAL) at Texas Tech University. The curriculum prepared by the CLS students (with faculty supervision) provided the framework for the present study. SETTING: Didactic instruction of the CLS students regarding objective writing, curriculum design, and preparation of evaluations was included as a component of a CLS laboratory management course. The educational program presented by IDEAL in conjunction with the TTUHSC CLS program within the School of Allied Health Sciences occurred in the CLS student laboratories located in Lubbock, Texas. PARTICIPANTS: TTUHSC senior CLS students in a 2 + 2 baccalaureate level CLS program acted as instructors in the educational program which was presented to middle and secondary school students from around the region. CLS program faculty served as supervisors of this program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Questionnaires with Likert-scaled responses were used to evaluate outcomes. These questionnaires regarded 1) faculty assessment of CLS student performance relative to instruction in education methods; 2) participant feedback on the effectiveness and competence of the CLS student instructors and overall appeal of the presented subject material; and 3) peer evaluations of attitude, contribution, and effort of the group members. RESULTS: CLS faculty strongly agreed that the CLS students demonstrated a high level of competence when writing objectives, planning age-appropriate curriculum and activities, and demonstrating a positive image of the profession. Regarding satisfaction of the IDEAL student participant, questionnaire responses demonstrated a high rate (84% or greater for middle school participants and 85% for high school students). The program design has been so successful that it has been implemented for several other programs offered by TTU and IDEAL. CONCLUSION: The education methods used in presenting the IDEAL program mirror those found in clinical and academic settings and is an effective technique to introduce CLS students to the varied aspects of educational methodology. The presentation by the CLS students also demonstrated that introduction of clinical laboratory science disciplines early in the education of middle and secondary school students leads to an interest in the CLS profession and to the desire to learn more about it.