A comprehensive review of the foramina of Luschka: history, anatomy, embryology, and surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to comprehensively review the foramina of Luschka in regard to their discovery, embryology, anatomy, and surgical relevance.

Methods: This subject review of the foramina of Luschka was composed after conducting a thorough review of the available literature on this topic using PubMed and other primary sources.

Results: The foramina of Luschka are paired apertures located in the lateral recesses of the fourth ventricle, within the posterior cranial fossa.

Some of the earliest depictions of the human spine: a glimpse into European history.

Introduction: Drawings of the human form have a history almost as old as mankind itself. However, illustrations of the human spine as seen with the vertebral column were not seen until much later. This paper reviews some of the early European depictions of the human vertebral column from the twelfth (e.

Translation of Hecker's 1922 "the occipital-atlanto-axial ligament system": A study in comparative anatomy.

In 1922, Paul Hecker, a French physician and Head of Anatomy at the Medical College of Strasbourg, published a sentinel thesis on the ligaments of the craniocervical junction based on a study of comparative anatomy. Unfortunately, this dissertation has been lost to history and until now, was unavailable in the English language. Herein, we present a translation of Hecker's work with an update in its nomenclature, which with modern imaging capabilities of the craniocervical junction is germane and timely.

Descriptive analysis of unplanned readmission and reoperation rates after intradural spinal tumor resection.

Introduction: Spinal cord tumors (SCT) are relatively uncommon and usually require surgical treatment. Readmission within 30days after discharge is an important indicator of health care quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the rates and causes of unplanned readmissions and reoperations after SCT surgery.

A history of the autonomic nervous system: part II: from Reil to the modern era.

Introduction: The history of the study of the autonomic nervous system is rich. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, scientists were beginning to more firmly grasp the reality of this part of the human nervous system.

Conclusions: The evolution of our understanding of the autonomic nervous system has a rich history.

A history of the autonomic nervous system: part I: from Galen to Bichat.

Introduction: The development of our current understanding of the autonomic nervous system has a rich history with many international contributors.

Conclusions: Although our thoughts of an autonomic nervous system arose with the Greeks, the evolution and final understanding of this neural network would not be fully realized until centuries later. Therefore, our current knowledge of this system is based on hundreds of years of hypotheses and testing and was contributed to by many historic figures.