Visualising the Dural Venous Sinuses Using Volume Tracing, a Novel Approach.

It is well established that the brain changes dramatically in appearance during gestation and even after birth. Due to the multi-channelled origins and the number of developmental options, the adult venous system is characterised by a higher incidence of anatomical variations than the arterial system. Limited information is available on imaging of the intracranial veins and sinuses.

Focused Multisensory Anatomy Observation and Drawing for Enhancing Social Learning and Three-Dimensional Spatial Understanding.

The concept that multisensory observation and drawing can be effective for enhancing anatomy learning is supported by pedagogic research and theory, and theories of drawing. A haptico-visual observation and drawing (HVOD) process has been previously introduced to support understanding of the three-dimensional (3D) spatial form of anatomical structures. The HVOD process involves exploration of 3D anatomy with the combined use of touch and sight, and the simultaneous act of making graphite marks on paper which correspond to the anatomy under observation.

An electromyographic study of abdominal muscle activity in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Background: Inadequate knowledge in the recruitment patterns of abdominal muscles in individuals with spastic-type cerebral palsy (STCP).

Objectives: To determine whether there is any difference between the neuromuscular activity (activation pattern) of the abdominal muscles in children with STCP and those of their typically developing (TD) peers.

Method: The NORAXAN electromyography (EMG) was used to monitor the neuromuscular activity in abdominal muscles of individuals with STCP ( = 63), and the results were compared with the findings from age-matched TD individuals ( = 82).

How Haptics and Drawing Enhance the Learning of Anatomy.

Students' engagement with two-dimensional (2D) representations as opposed to three-dimensional (3D) representations of anatomy such as in dissection, is significant in terms of the depth of their comprehension. This qualitative study aimed to understand how students learned anatomy using observational and drawing activities that included touch, called haptics. Five volunteer second year medical students at the University of Cape Town participated in a six-day educational intervention in which a novel "haptico-visual observation and drawing" (HVOD) method was employed.

An ultrasonographic analysis of the activation patterns of abdominal muscles in children with spastic type cerebral palsy and in typically developing individuals: a comparative study.

Background: Abdominal muscles have stiffer appearance in individuals with spastic type cerebral palsy (STCP) than in their typically developing (TD) peers. This apparent stiffness has been implicated in pelvic instability, mal-rotation, poor gait and locomotion. This study was aimed at investigating whether abdominal muscles activation patterns from rest to activity differ in the two groups.

Embryological and molecular development of the adrenal glands.

In this mini review, the embryological and functional development of the adrenal glands is presented from a molecular perspective. While acknowledging that this is a highly complex series of events, the processes are described in simple and broad strokes in a single text for the reader who is interested in this field but is not an active researcher. The origin of the adrenal glands is in the mesodermal ridge as early as the fourth week of gestation.

Who donates their body to science? An international, multicenter, prospective study.

The altruistic act of body donation provides a precious resource for both teaching and researching human anatomy. However, relatively little is known about individuals who donate their bodies to science (donors), and in particular whether donors in different geographical locations share similar characteristics. A multicenter prospective survey of donors registering during 2010 in three different geographical locations, New Zealand, Ireland, and the Republic of South Africa, was conducted to identify donor characteristics.

The reliance on unclaimed cadavers for anatomical teaching by medical schools in Africa.

The study of gross Anatomy through the use of cadaveric dissections in medical schools is an essential part of the comprehensive learning of human Anatomy, and unsurprisingly, 90% of the surveyed medical schools in Africa used cadaveric dissections. Donated cadavers now make up 80% of the total cadavers in North American medical schools and all the cadavers used for dissection in the United Kingdom are donated. Because the sources of cadavers used in Africa are not clearly known, a questionnaire to gather information on cadavers used at medical schools was designed from the relevant literature and was sent by electronic mail to 123 Anatomy lecturers in 23 African countries (48 medical schools).

The contribution of the palmaris longus muscle to the strength of thumb abduction.

The palmaris longus muscle (PLM) is described as a weak flexor of the wrist and a tensor of the palmar aponeurosis, but not a thumb abductor. The PLM is believed to aid thumb abduction through its insertion onto the thenar eminence. Two groups, both right hand dominant, were selected from 1,200 sampled participants.

The frequency of absence of palmaris longus in a South African population of mixed race.

The palmaris longus (PL) is a weak flexor of the wrist that may be harvested as a tendon graft and used in surgical procedures for reconstructive purposes. The PL is congenitally absent in 15% of the worldwide population. However, the frequency of absence varies considerably among different population groups, being as high as 63.

The place of anatomy in medical education: AMEE Guide no 41.

This Guide, a combined work by three authors from different countries, provides perspectives into the history of teaching gross anatomy, briefly, from the earliest of times, through to a detailed examination of curricula in both traditional didactic approaches and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curricula. The delivery of a module within a curriculum in tertiary education is interplay between the content (knowledge and skills) of a subject, the teaching staff involved, the students and their approaches to learning, and the philosophy underpinning the delivery of the learning material. The work is divided into sections that deal with approaches to learning anatomy from the perspective of students, to delivery of the content of the curriculum by lecturers, including the assessment of knowledge, and itemises the topics that could be considered important for an appropriate anatomy module in an integrated course, delivered in a way that emphasises clinical application.

What is medicine and what is a doctor? Medical students' perceptions and expectations of their academic and professional career.

Background: Research was conducted at the University of Cape Town in South Africa where a new medical curriculum was introduced in 2002. This curriculum is largely problem-based and primary health care (PHC) driven.

Aim: To qualitatively explore medical students' perceptions of medicine and doctors and their expectations of studying medicine and practising as a doctor.

Height and weight differences among South African Urban schoolchildren born in various months of the year.

Among 1,165 subjects aged 6-18 years who were examined once cross-sectionally, a significant variation in body height and weight according to the month of birth of the subjects was found. All subjects belonged to the so-called Cape Coloured community, were born locally, and their parents belonged to the most affluent sector of the community. Individuals born in February to July were shorter and weighed less (by 13 to 17% of the standard deviation) than those born in August to January.