Regional anatomy teaching forms a cornerstone of undergraduate medical education. Owing to an increase in teaching and learning content throughout the medical curriculum in recent years, contact hours and overall course durations in anatomy are under review worldwide. This study aimed to assess whether shortening the course content duration impacts learning gain and the ability to identify anatomical structures correctly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the dominant role of bone mass in osteoporotic fractures, aging bone tissue properties must be thoroughly understood to improve osteoporosis management. In this context, collagen content and integrity are considered important factors, although limited research has been conducted on the tensile behavior of demineralized compact bone in relation to its porosity and elastic properties in the native mineralized state. Therefore, this study aims (i) at examining the age-dependency of mineralized bone and collagen micromechanical properties; (ii) to test whether, and if so to which extent, collagen properties contribute to mineralized bone mechanical properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) based micro-finite element (μFE) analysis allows accurate prediction of stiffness and ultimate load of standardised (∼1 cm) distal radius and tibia sections. An alternative homogenized finite element method (hFE) was recently validated to compute the ultimate load of larger (∼2 cm) distal radius sections that include Colles' fracture sites. Since the mechanical integrity of the weight-bearing distal tibia is gaining clinical interest, it has been shown that the same properties can be used to predict the strength of both distal segments of the radius and the tibia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn comparative anatomy, the adductor muscles are said to be quite variable and to often cause difficulty in separation. The arrangement of these muscles and the possible occurrence of the adductor minimus and obturator intermedius muscles in the albino rat has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to accurately describe the adductor muscles in the albino rat ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: To restore elbow flexor muscle function in case of traumatic brachial plexus avulsion, the phrenic nerve transfer to the musculocutaneous nerve has become part of clinical practice. The nerve transfer can be done by means of video-assisted thoracic surgery without nerve graft or via supraclavicular approach in combination with an autograft. This study focuses on a detailed microscopic and macroscopic examination of the phrenic nerve.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnatomical dissection is known to serve as an integral tool in teaching gross anatomy, including postgraduate training. A variety of embalming techniques exist, resulting in different haptic and optical tissue properties. This study aimed to objectify learning outcomes and medical student perceptions related to the use of two widely used embalming techniques, namely Thiel and ethanol-glycerin embalming.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHands-on courses utilizing preserved human tissues for educational training offer an important pathway to acquire basic anatomical knowledge. Owing to the reevaluation of formaldehyde limits by the European Commission, a joint approach was chosen by the German-speaking anatomies in Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to find commonalities among embalming protocols and infrastructure. A survey comprising 537 items was circulated to all anatomies in German-speaking Europe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOsteoporosis is currently diagnosed based on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) computed from 2D DXA scans. However, aBMD is a limited surrogate for femoral strength since it does not account for 3D bone geometry and density distribution. QCT scans combined with finite element (FE) analysis can deliver improved femoral strength predictions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToday, we are facing rapid aging of the world population, which increases the incidence of hip fractures. The gold standard of bone strength assessment in the laboratory is micro-computed finite element analysis (μFEA) based on micro-computed tomography (μCT) images. In clinics, the standard method to assess bone fracture risk is based on areal bone mineral density (aBMD), measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe obturator internus, gemelli, and quadratus femoris muscles are thought to be postural muscles. Thus, they are in the focus of research. Although these muscles are described in other species, detailed descriptions are still lacking for the albino rat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn enlarged anastomosis connecting the vascular territory of the external iliac and the obturator artery may replace most or all of the latter. This relatively common vascular variation, known as Corona mortis, can lead to death in the worst-case scenario if injured. Despite being well-known, exact anthropometric data are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: HR-pQCT based micro finite element (μFE) analyses are considered as "gold standard" for virtual biomechanical analyses of peripheral bone sites such as the distal segment of radius and tibia. An attractive alternative for clinical use is a homogenized finite element method (hFE) based on constitutive models, because of its much shorter evaluation times and modest computational resource requirements. Such hFE models have been experimentally validated for the distal segment of the radius, but neither for the distal segments of the tibia nor for both measurement sites together.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTuberculosis is among the leading causes of death from infectious diseases and affects many organ systems, including the skeleton. Skeletal tuberculosis is an extrapulmonary stage of tuberculosis, which occurs after the early and post-primary pulmonary stages of the disease. The aim of our study was to assess the microarchitecture of historic dry bone samples of subjects who have died of tuberculosis documented by post-mortem examinations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: During transaxillary endoscopic subpectoral breast augmentation, the innervation of the abdominal part of the pectoralis major muscle can be injured. The question has been raised whether this could even be of value, as for a better result, the caudal fibers of the pectoralis major muscle have to be detached from their origin. The authors' aim was to identify the exact position and the intramuscular course and target of these nerve branches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVascular variations appear as morphologically distinct patterns of blood diverging from the most commonly observed vessel patterns. The facial artery is considered to be the main vessel for supplying blood to the anterior part of the face. An anatomical understanding of the facial artery, its course, its topography, and its branches is important in medical and dental practice (especially in neck and face surgery), and is also essential for radiologists to be able to interpret vascular imaging in the face following angiography of the region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBone is a biological tissue with unique mechanical properties, owing to a complex hierarchical structure ranging from the nanoscale up to the macroscale. To better understand bone mechanics, investigation of mechanical properties of all structural elements at every hierarchical level and how they interact is necessary. Testing of bone structures at the lower microscale, e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In tertiary syphilis, Treponema pallidum triggers the formation of granulomatous nodules in various organs of the human body. Within the skeleton, predominantly in the skull and long bones, these characteristic syphilitic lesions cause typical patterns of bone damage. In this study, micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was used to assess the microarchitecture of these osseous defects in untreated syphilitic skull bones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe flexor retinaculum of the hand is a fibrous structure forming the carpal tunnel in conjunction with the carpal bones. To prevent incomplete release of the carpal tunnel it is of benefit to know about the expected longitudinal expansion of the flexor retinaculum. The objective of the present study was to identify a possible correlation between the proximodistal expansion of the flexor retinaculum and the length of the hand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground and purpose - The distal part of the vastus medialis muscle is an important stabilizer for the patella. Thus, knowledge of the intramuscular nerve course and branching pattern is important to estimate whether the muscle's innervation is at risk if splitting the muscle. We determined the intramuscular course of the nerve branches supplying the distal part of the vastus medialis muscle to identify the surgical approach that best preserves its innervation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnatomical dissection is an indispensable means of acquiring knowledge about the variability of the human body. We detected the co-existence of several arterial variations within one female anatomic specimen during routine anatomical dissection. The aim of this study was to evaluate if this status is a regular pattern in any of other vertebrates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Latarjet procedure is a popular technique with the aim of the reconstruction of glenoid cavity bone defects in patients with chronic anterior shoulder instability. Studies have shown that the Congruent arc Latarjet procedure is better able to reconstruct larger defects than the Classic Latarjet, but there is a lack of information on the limitations of both methods.
Methods: The dimensions of the glenoid width and the native coracoid process of two groups with 35 Formol-Carbol embalmed scapulae each were measured using a digital caliper.
Ann Anat
January 2020
Background: The phrenicoabdominal branch of the left phrenic nerve passes between muscle fiber bundles within the costal part of the diaphragm near the pericardium. In most German textbooks of anatomy, however, its passage is described to be found in the esophageal hiatus. The aim of this study was to reevaluate its topography relative to the diaphragm in a multicentric study and to identify the initiation of this description.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Concerning the ongoing controversy about the existence and nature of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee joint, we reinvestigated the formation of the anterolateral part of its fibrous capsule in anatomic specimens. Furthermore, we wanted to clarify if the lateral meniscus has established a constant anchoring to the lateral tibial condyle via a lateral meniscotibial ligament (lmtl).
Methods: Forty paired embalmed lower extremities taken from 20 human body donors (15 men and five women) underwent exact macroscopic dissection.