Venous drainage from the developing human base of mandible including Meckel's cartilage: the so-called Serres' vein revisited

Abstract

Purpose: The present study describes the venous drainage, especially, that via the so-called Serres' vein, from border areas between two different types of ossifications: the endochondral ossification of Meckel's cartilage in close topographical relation with the membranous ossification of the mandible.

Methods: Frontal and transverse sections of 25 human fetuses between 8 and 16 weeks of post-conception development. All sections were stained with hematoxylin, and eosin and azan.

Results: At 9 weeks, a distinct vein (Serres' vein) is seen originating from the endochondral ossification of Meckel's cartilage. At 11 weeks, the vein collects blood sinusoids from both the endochondral and membranous ossification areas. At 12 weeks the vein accompanies a definite bony canal, the Serres' canal. The vein does not extend anteriorly beyond a level of the deciduous canine germ that was located anterior to the mental foramen. Notably, up to 12 weeks, the vein becomes clearly isolated from the inferior alveolar nerve, artery, and vein.

Conclusion: Serres' vein seems to be a unique drainage route of ossification, not of the tooth germ, and is similar to veins at the usual diaphysis of a long bone. Although the Serres' canal had been termed "canal of the deciduous dentition", there appears to be no topographical relation with deciduous germs.