Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Electromyometrial Imaging of Uterine Contractions in Pregnant Women
Published on: May 26, 2023
The uterine junctional zone
Luca Fusi1, Brianna Cloke, Jan J Brosens
1Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Wolfson & Weston Research Centre for Family Health, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.
Abstract:
Magnetic resonance imaging has revealed that the endometrio-myometrial interface constitutes a distinct, hormone-dependent uterine compartment termed the junctional zone. In the non-pregnant uterus, highly specialized contraction waves originate exclusively from the junctional zone and participate in the regulation of diverse reproductive events, such as sperm transport, embryo implantation, and menstrual shedding. Conversely, growing evidence suggests that disruption of the normal endometrio-myometrial interface plays an integral role in diverse reproductive disorders. This chapter reviews our current understanding of the mechanisms that govern the cyclic changes in the uterine junctional zone and summarizes the evidence implicating the endometrio-myometrial interface in normal uterine physiology and pathological processes.
Related Concept Videos
Uterus and Cervix
The uterus is securely anchored within the pelvic cavity by paired broad ligaments on either side. It is further stabilized by three pairs of...
Uterine Tubes
Histology of the Uterus
The endometrium is the...
Tight Junctions
Anchoring Junctions
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four quadrants...

