Publications by authors named "Joe Iwanaga"

Purpose: The stellate ganglion (SG), or cervicothoracic ganglion, is usually located anterior to the neck of the first rib. Various techniques, such as ultrasonographic imaging and fluoroscopic approaches, are used to assist in the anesthetic blockade of the SG. However, there are reported complications associated with SG block; some patients had medication-related or systemic side effects, and some had procedure-related or local side effects.

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The ethmoidal foramina (EF), located on the medial orbital wall along the frontoethmoidal sutures, are critical anatomical landmarks for surgeries involving the medial orbital wall. This review aimed to review the surgical anatomy of the EF, including their embryology and radiology. Although the frontoethmoidal sutures mostly have two foramina passing through them, there are reports of single foramen or multiple, up to six foramina.

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The transverse sinus (TS) is often involved with pathology for structural reasons. The aim of this study was to improve understanding of the anatomy along the groove of the TS and sigmoid sinus (SS), to discuss the relationship between the bony features and pathologies affecting the TS. Seventy dry skulls (140 sides) were used for detailed observation of the TS and SS grooves using gross investigation coupled with transillumination.

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  • The nasal bones are crucial for the structure of the external nose and the maxillofacial area, forming a paired, quadrangular shape connected to other facial bones.
  • In a study, two adult human skulls showed variations in the anatomy of the nasal bones, including one skull with a bifid and hooked nasal septum.
  • Recognizing these anatomical differences is significant for maxillofacial surgeries and should be taken into account when analyzing facial imaging, despite being relatively rare.
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The high incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in evacuees has been recognized since the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake in Japan. We hypothesized that the number and location of communicating branches of the soleal veins might influence thrombus development and that the median septum of the soleus muscle influences the venous network of the soleal veins. This study aimed to investigate how the network of soleal veins varies with the shape and thickness of the median septum and to elucidate factors predisposing soleal veins to DVT.

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Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, known as Maimonides (Hebrew name is Rambam), lived from 1138 to 1204. He was one of the important philosophers, adjudicators, and physicians of the Jews. Rambam's knowledge of Jewish laws and his being a philosopher helped him in his third discipline, medicine.

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  • Variations in intradural venous sinuses are common, but this study uniquely reports multiple fenestrated sinuses in the same specimen for the first time.
  • The findings revealed that the right transverse sinus was larger and positioned higher than the left, while no occipital sinus was found and the straight sinus drained near the left transverse sinus.
  • Understanding these anatomical variations is essential in clinical settings to avoid complications during surgeries, and the paper also includes a discussion on the embryological development of these sinuses.
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Nowadays, English is the lingua franca of science, and the reference lists in most English articles are dominated by other English articles. Publications in languages other than English are most often in French, Italian, Spanish, or German. The minority written languages, that is, non-alphabet languages, have often not been included in reference lists in the scientific literature.

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Basilar artery bands (BAB) are described in scant reports in the literature as shelves, bridges, septa, or webs within the lumen of the basilar artery. The anatomy and histology of these bands have only recently been fully explored and classified. Although there has been evidence of non-atherosclerotic calcification of these structures and vertebrobasilar atherosclerosis, previous studies have not demonstrated any plaque or thrombus formation on the basilar artery bands.

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  • This study explored how masticatory muscle forces affect the shape of the mandible and the formation of the antegonial notch, a bony feature on the lower jaw.
  • Researchers analyzed the Notch in 60 Japanese patients using lateral cephalograms to measure its size and depth.
  • Findings showed a significant correlation between the size of the Notch and specific mandible angles, indicating that muscle activity and jaw growth play a role in forming this feature.
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  • * A study involving 72 adult cadavers found that the GON rarely pierces the OIC, but when it does, it shows signs of chronic compression affecting nerve health.
  • * This research highlights a potentially overlooked cause of occipital neuralgia, suggesting that GON entrapment by the OIC may be more common than previously thought.
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  • Le Fort I osteotomy is a surgical procedure aimed at improving maxillary mobility but carries the risk of bad fractures that can lead to complications.
  • The study used 2D and 3D CT images to find anatomical factors related to these bad fractures, specifically noting important measurements from key anatomical points.
  • Two main risk factors on the pterygoid side and six on the maxillary side were identified, suggesting that certain anatomical distances contribute significantly to the occurrence of fractures during this procedure.
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Background: The xiphoid process (XP) in animals such as sheep and rats are well known to have cartilage called xiphoidal cartilage (XC). In humans, the cartilage in the xiphoid process is considered an anatomical variant and is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology of the XP.

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  • The lingual nerve (LN) is a branch of the trigeminal nerve that supplies sensation to the mouth and the front part of the tongue.
  • While it is not commonly involved in basic dental surgeries, its anatomical position can pose a risk of accidental damage during procedures.
  • This section aims to raise awareness about the risks of LN injury, explain its anatomy, and provide guidance on treatment in case of injury.
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The lingual nerve (LN) is a branch of the mandibular division of the fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal. It primarily carries sensory fibers from the lingual gingiva, mucous membranes of the floor of the mouth, sublingual gland, and the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. Recent studies have explored and reclassified the five branches of the LN as branches to the isthmus of the fauces, lingual branches, sublingual nerves, posterior branch to the submandibular ganglion, and branches to the sublingual ganglion.

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Purpose: The nasal foramen is located in the nasal bone and for vessels passage to supply the nasal area. This project aimed to establish reliable references for the nasal foramina for future clinical applications.

Methods: The 72 dried skulls, 46 from the Division of Anatomy, University of Phayao, Thailand, and 26 from the Tulane University School of Medicine, USA, were collected and examined.

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Soft tissue spaces not only enable gliding by contraction of the facial muscles, but they also cause drooping of the superficial fat due to gravity in the upright position. This study was performed to clarify the structures around the bucco-mandibular space (BMS) and to apply this anatomical knowledge to clinical practice. Four sides of the face were dissected using a conventional gross anatomical dissection technique, and 10 sides (5 horizontal and 5 frontal sections) of the removed semi-facial soft tissue were dissected using the stretched tissue dissection (STD) method.

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Purpose: A deep knowledge of the variations of the posterior forearm musculature is crucial for assessing and diagnosing conditions in this region. Extensor indicis (EI) is one of the muscles in this region, which exhibits diverse anatomical variations. This report documents an extremely unusual form of the EI with an accessory head on the dorsum of the hand.

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Purpose: Ossification of the mamillo-accessory ligament (MAL) results in the formation of a mamillo-accessory foramen (MAF), which is associated with aging. The MAL tethers the medial branches of the lumbar dorsal rami to the lumbar vertebrae. A MAL ossified at the lumbar vertebrae can cause low back pain by compressing the medial branch of a dorsal ramus.

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