The architecture and spatial organization of the living human body as revealed by intratissular endoscopy - An osteopathic perspective

Abstract

This article presents an overview of research conducted by Dr Jean-Claude Guimberteau into the architecture and spatial organization of living matter and the relationship between the cells and the extracellular matrix. His research is discussed in the context of previous and current research into fascial anatomy. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of Osteopathy, did not have access to modern research and yet his observations are proving to be surprisingly accurate in the light of recent findings. This article sets out to highlight the relevance of his insights from a purely anatomical perspective, and to draw parallels with a new way of thinking about the architecture of the living human body that is slowly emerging. Dr Guimberteau's research shows that a force applied to the surface of the skin is transmitted deep into living tissue via a continuous bodywide multifibrillar network. It also confirms the concept of the body as a dynamic functional unit, as proposed by A.T. Still. Still also proposed that structure and function are interrelated at all levels within the living human body. There is a growing body of research to support this. Intratissular endoscopy has highlighted the importance of the quality of the mobility and adaptability of the network of collagen and elastin fibers that structures the ECM in healthy living tissue. Factors such as abnormal stiffness of collagen fibers in the ECM are thought to have adverse effects on local tissue health.

Keywords: Cell microenvironment; Collagen fibers; Extracellular matrix; Fascia; Fibrillar network; Osteopathy; Structure/function relationships; Unity of the body.