Anatomical Collection Research Articles

Restoring a natural skeleton of a premature infant from the early twentieth century

Traditional anatomical preparations as they are often found in university collections are both historical treasure and moral responsibility of the hosting institutions. These remains not only represent the tradition and history of anatomical science and education, but above all are the remains of human beings and thus should be treated with dignity. While the discussion on public display of historical human remains is ongoing, the responsibility to keep them in an optimal state of preservation is not in question. However, most time-honored anatomical collections do or did not have the financial and/or technical capacity to keep these high standards, underlining the need for exchange of technical know-how between anatomical institutes and the support of restoration/conservation professionals. Here, we present a state-of-the-art conservation and restoration of a fetal natural skeleton from the early twentieth century along with the professional documentation of restoration-measures. Therefore, we used modern photo- and video documentation, including photogrammetry, as well as UV- and x-ray-examinations to record historical and new restoration procedures. We carried out measures to reconstitute the structural stability of the skeleton. Moreover, we replaced lost parts of the left foot skeleton, and critically discuss the legitimacy of body part replacement in historical specimens. We are convinced, that similar cases of insufficiently preserved specimens can be found in most anatomical collections. Therefore, this article is not only intended to document the state-of-the-art conservation and restoration of a natural skeleton, but also serve as an inspiration for similar campaigns in other institutions in the future.

Slow (Bio)archaeology: Recovering Stories of Irish Immigrant Lives in the Huntington Anatomical Collection

I consider the power of “slow archaeology” in a study of the Huntington Anatomical Collection, focusing on Irish immigrants who lived and worked in New York City over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. I argue that normative bioarchaeological categories and methods cannot fully account for the varied life histories of persons in the collection. Instead, I turn to the tenets of slow archaeology to move between scales of analysis and material traces. With a slow approach, embodied experiences of labor are highlighted and discourses about laborers are challenged. A slow approach seeks to recover the lived experiences of individuals exploited in life and made anonymous in death and is one potential way toward a more ethical bioarchaeology.

The role of radiology in provenance research - experiences from the collaboration between radiology and anatomy at the University of Rostock and future perspectives.

Worldwide, the study and examination of human remains and the circumstances of their acquisition for anatomical collection have received great interest. As part of provenance research projects, a large number of collections are being investigated to determine whether the human remains have been acquired in a correct or unlawful way because the people could have been killed in order to be used as "anthropological objects" for research purposes and to become so-called "specimens". These topics have also been addressed by the Institute of Anatomy at the University Medical Center Rostock. The role of radiology in this interdisciplinary project will be presented using selected examples.The anatomical collection at the University of Rostock includes 40 human skulls, 14 plaster casts, 6 Egyptian mummy heads, and 1 full-body mummy. In addition to the examination by a historian, an anthropologist, and forensic pathologists, additional computed tomography was carried out on nine skulls and the full-body mummy. Micro-computed tomography was also carried out on seven skulls in order to enable a look behind the mummification material and tissue remains.(Micro-)computed tomography was able to close diagnostic gaps and the results presented some rather unexpected findings.Due to interdisciplinary collaboration, individual fates could be determined, which provided information about the individual's life and death circumstances. None of the examined individuals showed evidence of colonial-era injustice or the use of violence that would have led to their inclusion in the collection. (Micro-)computed tomography was a valuable addition to this provenance research project. · Computed tomography enhances interdisciplinary provenance research projects.. · Computed tomography enables a non-destructive examination of human remains.. · The future of research and presentation of human remains will increasingly be virtual.. · Steinhagen I, Brinker U, Kolbe V et al. The role of radiology in provenance research - experiences from the collaboration between radiology and anatomy at the University of Rostock and future perspectives. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2024; DOI 10.1055/a-2303-0312.

Professors of racial medicine: imperialism and race in nineteenth-century United States medical schools.

This article examines some of the racist features of nineteenth-century medical school curricula in the United States and the imperial networks necessary to acquire the data and specimens that underpinned this part of medical education, which established hierarchies between human races and their relationship to the natural environment. It shows how, in a world increasingly linked by trade and colonialism, medical schools were founded in the United States and grew as the country developed its own imperial ambitions. Taking advantage of the global reach of empires, a number of medical professors in different states, such as Daniel Drake, Josiah Nott and John Collins Warren, who donated his anatomical collection to Harvard Medical School on his retirement in 1847, began to develop racial theories that naturalised slavery and emerging imperialism as part of their medical teaching.

American Association for Anatomy recommendations for the management of legacy anatomical collections.

Collections of human remains in scientific and private institutions have a long tradition, though throughout history there has often been variable regard for the respect and dignity that these tissues demand. Recent public scandals around the use of human remains, coupled with an increasing community awareness around accountability in such instances, forces scholars to confront the ethical and moral concerns associated with these collections. This includes specific focus on the acquisition, storage, use, and disposition of these remains, which were often collected with no consent and with little knowledge, or concern, about the individual or their respective culture and practices surrounding death and postmortem treatment. As a response, the American Association for Anatomy convened a Legacy Anatomical Collections Task Force to consider these issues and to develop recommendations to assist those working with these tissues in education, research, and museum collections. This has culminated with the development of Recommendations for the Management of Legacy Anatomical Collections. The recommendations provide both an ethical foundation and practical considerations for the use, storage, and disposition of legacy collections of human tissues, and deliver guidance for establishing appropriate management and oversight, investigating provenance, and engaging with communities of care. While these Recommendations are considered a living document which will change over time as ethical principles concerning human tissue evolve, they currently represent 'best practice' recommendations that can guide researchers, teachers, and museum associates as they consider the future of legacy anatomical collections in their care.

Urbanization, Bourgeois Culture, and the Institutionalization of the Frankfurt Neurological Institute by Ludwig Edinger (1855–1918)

Ludwig Edinger (1855–1918) is often perceived as a functional neuroanatomist who primarily followed traditional lines of microscopic research. That he was a rather fascinating innovator in the history of neurology at the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century has, however, gone quite unnoticed. Edinger’s career and his pronounced hopes for future investigative progress in neurological work mark an important shift, one away from traditional research styles connected to department-based approaches towards a multi-perspective and quite advanced form of interdisciplinary scientific work. Being conceptually influenced by the Austrian neuroanatomist Heinrich Obersteiner (1847–1922) and his foundation of the Neurological Institute in Vienna in 1882, Edinger established a multi-faceted brain research program. It was linked to an institutional setting of laboratory analysis and clinical research that paved the way for a new type of interdisciplinarity. After completion of his medical training, which brought him in working relationships with illustrious clinicians such as Friedrich von Recklinghausen (1810–1879) and Adolf Kussmaul (1822–1902), Edinger settled in 1883 as one of the first clinically working neurologists in the German city of Frankfurt/Main. Here, he began to collaborate with the neuropathologist Carl Weigert (1845–1904), who worked at the independent research institute of the Senckenbergische Anatomie. Since 1902, Edinger came to organize the anatomical collections and equipment for a new brain research laboratory in the recently constructed Senckenbergische Pathologie. It was later renamed the “Neurological Institute”, and became an early interdisciplinary working place for the study of the human nervous system in its comparative, morphological, experimental, and clinical dimensions. Even after Edinger’s death and under the austere circumstances of the Weimar Period, altogether three serviceable divisions continued with fruitful research activities in close alignment: the unit of comparative neurology, the unit of neuropsychology and neuropathology (headed by holist neurologist Kurt Goldstein, 1865–1965), and an associated unit of paleoneurology (chaired by Ludwig Edinger’s daughter Tilly, 1897–1967, who later became a pioneering neuropaleontologist at Harvard University). It was especially the close vicinity of the clinic that attracted Edinger’s attention and led him to conceive a successful model of neurological research, joining together different scientific perspectives in a unique and visibly modern form.

Morphometric study of the lumbar vertebrae in dried anatomical collections

Background The objective of this anatomical study was to perform the morphometry of dried lumbar vertebrae in human cadavers. Methods This study utilized 200 adult human cadaveric dried lumbar vertebrae. The digital Vernier calipers was used to perform the measurements. The height, antero-posterior length, transverse length of the body of the vertebrae, interpedicular distance at the lateral ends, lamina length, height and thickness, superior and inferior articular facet height and width, mid sagittal and transverse diameter of vertebral foramen, height, width and thickness of the pars inter-articularis were measured. Results The vertebral body’s anteroposterior length was more at the lower border than at the superior border (p < 0.01). The length of lamina was higher over the right in comparison to the left (p < 0.001). The height of lamina, width of inferior articular facet, diameter of lateral recess and thickness of pars inter-articularis were greater for the left sided specimens (p < 0.01). The statistical significance was not observed for the comparison of the remaining parameters (p > 0.05). Conclusion This anatomical study offered several dimensions of lumbar vertebrae, which are essential in the surgical practice. The implants at the lumbar vertebrae need to be manufactured based on the anatomical dimensions of that particular sample population.

Morphometric and morphologic analysis of the foramen spinosum in the Slovenian population with clinical correlations.

The foramen spinosum (FS) is a pivotal passage for neurovascular structures within the skull base. We performed a detailed morphometric and morphological analysis of the FS to emphasize its clinical relevance. The study was performed on dried skull specimens obtained from the anatomical collections of the Institute of Anatomy and Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Ljubljana. The morphometric and morphologic features of FS in 126 whole human skulls and 15 skull halves were analyzed, including dimensions, shape, and other anatomical variations, as well as relationships to surrounding structures. Measurements were done with a digital sliding caliper. The mean length and width of the FS were 2.45 ± 0.65 mm and 2.03 ± 0.53 mm on the right side and 2.49 ± 0.61 mm and 2.08 ± 0.48 mm on the left side. The most frequently observed shape was round (56.7%), followed by oval (28.2%), irregular (8.7%) and drop shaped (6.3%). Several anatomical variations were also noted, including FS duplication, confluences with other foramina, and FS obstruction due to marginal bony outgrowths. The FS exhibits notable interindividual differences in anatomical characteristics which should be considered during neurosurgical procedures and radiological interventions in the skull base.

Macroscopic study of the collection of human fetuses from Granada University

The anatomical collections of fetuses are a valuable element of study and research in universities. At the University of Granada, the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology has a collection of 283 fetuses. The purpose of this article has been to carry out an exhaustive study on these fetuses to present data related to the malformations they presented. Regarding the results, it is worth noting the presence of a higher frequency of aborted fetuses between 4.5 and 6 months of development and the presence of macroscopically evident malformations in 56% of them. In conclusion, this study assesses the usefulness for teaching and research of this anatomical material and the results provide data of interest on fetal development and the etiology of spontaneous abortions.

An evolutionary perspective to intramedullary nail fit - comparing present-day data with a historical specimen collection.

Manufacturers aim to design implants fitting for the broadest possible population segment. Due to the scarcity of available morphological data of intact long bones, anatomical collections of historical bone specimens may represent valuable additional sources. Previous work on femoral morphology measurements suggests that historical specimens are widely consistent with data from present-day populations. This study aimed to investigate whether this also applies to the anatomical fitting of a clinically used femoral nail. Nail fit was computer-graphically quantified through virtual implantation into CT-based 3D models of 52 femora, comprising a subset representative of the present-day Caucasian population (n = 31), a subset from a historical medieval European bone collection (n = 20), and additionally, a dataset from a natural ice mummy from the Neolithic period. Nail fit was assessed by nail protrusion (area and distance) to the inner cortex surface and the distal nail tip's position in the medullary canal. Assessed measurements and parameters of the present-day Caucasian subset were mostly consistent with those of the medieval European subset. After adjusting for multiple testing, only the distance from lateral nail entry point to shaft axis remained significantly (p = 0.03) different when comparing our modern and medieval subsets. Subsequent bivariate (Spearman) correlation analyses for both subsets (modern and medieval) combined showed that of the three variables representing basic demographic parameters, individual age, biological sex, and femur length, most statistically significant associations to the examined nail fit measurements were found for age (six measurements at a level of p < 0.05), however, with a relatively weak monotonic correlation (rho values ranging between ±0.31 and ±0.37). The measurements for the Iceman's femur lie within the range of the modern and historical subgroups, but in some cases, differ by more than one standard deviation from the mean. Our results confirm previous findings, suggesting that more recent historical bone specimen collections may indeed be a convenient and easily accessible source of new 3D morphological data and complement existing data to be used for the development of femoral nails.

Structural violence and institutionalized individuals: A paleopathological perspective on a continuing issue.

Past and present institutions (e.g., state and public hospitals, assisted living facilities, public nursing homes) have struggled with structural issues tied to patient care and neglect, which often manifests in the form of fracture trauma, and may explain why institutionalized individuals are at higher risk for this injury. Six hundred individuals from the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection born between 1822-1877 were examined to investigate hip fracture prevalence. Analysis of associated records and documentary data, including death, morgue, and census records, revealed that 36.3% (n = 218) of these individuals died in institutions such as the St. Louis State Hospital, City Infirmary, and Missouri State Hospital No. 4. Of the institutionalized individuals, 4.3% had evidence of hip fracture, significantly higher than the non-institutionalized (2.3%). Records revealed that many hip fractures were suffered around the time of death in state hospitals and were preventable, resulting from structural issues tied to understaffing and underfunding. Forensic and clinical literature, as well as current news media, indicate that structural violence in the forms of underfunding and understaffing continues to manifest as hip fractures harming institutionalized individuals today. This paper demonstrates how an anthropological perspective using paleopathological analysis sheds light on the chronicity and time depth of this issue, with the aim of driving public policy to entrench the equitable care of institutionalized people as a human right.

Morphometric study of the lumbar vertebrae in dried anatomical collections

Background: The objective of this anatomical study was to perform the morphometry of dried lumbar vertebrae in human cadavers. Methods: This study utilized 200 adult human cadaveric dried lumbar vertebrae. The digital Vernier calipers was used to perform the measurements. The height, antero-posterior length, transverse length of the body of the vertebrae, interpedicular distance at the lateral ends, lamina length, height and thickness, superior and inferior articular facet height and width, mid sagittal and transverse diameter of vertebral foramen, height, width and thickness of the pars inter-articularis were measured. Results: The vertebral body’s anteroposterior length was more at the lower border than at the superior border (p &lt; 0.01). The length of lamina was higher over the right in comparison to the left (p &lt; 0.001). The height of lamina, width of inferior articular facet, diameter of lateral recess and thickness of pars inter-articularis were greater for the left sided specimens (p &lt; 0.01). The statistical significance was not observed for the comparison of the remaining parameters (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: This anatomical study offered several dimensions of lumbar vertebrae, which are essential in the surgical practice. The implants at the lumbar vertebrae need to be manufactured based on the anatomical dimensions of that particular sample population.

The Anatomical Collection at the University of Jena: Reinventing an exhibition of human remains based on ethical considerations

Emphasizing scientific and cultural-historical aspects of human remains, we describe the historical background and present status of the Anatomical Collection at the University of Jena. In addition to safekeeping issues and exhibition practice, we provide typical examples of provenance research in the Collection and refer to relevant literature and recommendations. A reappraisal of the Anatomical Collection culminated in the implementation of a new exhibition concept that diverts attention away from dead bodies as mere anatomical objects and emphasizes ethical considerations, such as consented body donation. The visitor is encouraged to respect the deceased as human subjects who are individuals with their personal biography and entitled to human dignity also after death. A particular focus of our approach is on contexts of colonial injustice and racism, which require a high degree of ethical sensitivity. By providing practical hints on how to conduct provenance research, we want to encourage other anatomists to have a closer look at their historical collections. While some human remains can be restituted, others will probably stay in the collections for various reasons. Concepts for the appropriate handling of these remains have yet to be developed. In conclusion, we argue that, with a renewed understanding and sensitivity, the importance and value of the historical anatomical collections can be recognized once again.

Checklist of the Mammal Collection Preserved at the University of Palermo under the Framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center

The latest reorganization of the Vertebrate collections preserved at the “Pietro Doderlein” Museum of Zoology of the University of Palermo (Italy) has made it possible to draw up a check-list of the Mammal taxa present in the stuffed (M), fluid-preserved (ML) and anatomical (AN) collections. The intervention was planned under the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) agenda, focused on the enhancement of Italian natural history museums. The growing interest in museum collections strongly demands databases available to the academic and policy world. In this paper, we record 679 specimens belonging to 157 specific taxa arranged in 58 families and 16 orders. Most of the species (75.1%) come from the Palaearctic Region (southern Mediterranean and North Africa), with a minority of taxa coming from the Afrotropical (7.8%), Neotropical (4.6%), Indo-Malayan (3.4%) and Australasian (1%) regions. Among the 24% of the taxa listed in the IUCN categories as threatened (VU, EN, CR, RE) the specimens of the Sicilian wolf, a regional endemic subspecies that became extinct in the last century, stand out. Even if small (&lt;1000 specimens), the collection of mammals of the Museum of Zoology is an important asset for research on biodiversity in the Mediterranean area, representing an international reference for those wishing to conduct morphological and genetic studies in this area.

Femoral morphology in Ortolani's anatomical collection of developmental dysplasia of the hip: Anteversion is unrelated to severity of infantile dysplasia.

This study evaluated and quantified femoral anteversion and femoral head sphericity in healthy and dysplastic hips of post-mortem infant specimens from Ortolani's collection. Healthy hips and hips with cases of dysplasia, with a large variety of severity, were preserved. Morphological measurements were taken on 14 specimens (28 hips), with a mean age of 4.68 months. The degree of dysplasia was classified as mild (A) to severe (D); 11 hips were Grade A, 6 hips were Grade B, 7 hips were Grade C, and 4 hips were Grade D. The femoral anteversion angle, the minimum femoral head diameter, and the maximum femoral head diameter were measured. The minimum and maximum femoral head diameters were used to estimate femoral head sphericity. The mean femoral anteversion angle was 30.81 degrees ± 11.07 degrees in cases and 29.69 degrees ± 12.69 degrees in controls. There were no significant differences between the normal-to-mild group and moderate-to-severe group when comparing the femoral anteversion angle (p = 0.836). The mean estimated sphericity was 1.08 mm ± 0.50 mm in cases and 0.81 mm ± 0.65 mm in controls, with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.269). Ortolani's collection showed no significant differences between healthy and dysplastic hips in specimens under 1 year of age. While the femoral head appeared slightly more flattened in dysplastic hips, it was not statistically significant. The findings in the unique collection add to the knowledge of the pathoanatomy of infantile hip dysplasia. Femoral anteversion may not play a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of DDH.

Deep learning in sex estimation from a peripheral quantitative computed tomography scan of the fourth lumbar vertebra—a proof-of-concept study

Sex estimation is a key element in the analysis of unknown skeletal remains. The vertebrae display clear sex discrepancy and have proven accurate in conventional morphometric sex estimation. This proof-of-concept study aimed to investigate the possibility to develop a deep learning algorithm for sex estimation even from a single peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) slice of the fourth lumbar vertebra (L4). The study utilized a total of 117 vertebrae from the Terry Anatomical Collection. There were 58 male and 59 female cadavers, all of the white ethnicity, with the average age at death 49 years and a range of 24 to 77 years. A coronal pQCT scan was taken from the midway of the L4 corpus. Sex estimation was performed in a total of 19 neural network architectures implemented in the AIDeveloper software. Of the explored architectures, a LeNet5-based algorithm reached the highest accuracy of 86.4% in the test set. Sex-specific classification rates were 90.9% among males and 81.8% among females. This preliminary finding advances the field by encouraging and directing future research on artificial intelligence-based methods in sex estimation from individual skeletal traits such as the vertebrae. Combining quickly obtained imaging data with automated deep learning algorithms may establish a valuable pipeline for forensic anthropology and provide aid when combined with traditional methods.

The pathological anatomical collection of the Natural History Museum Vienna.

The pathological anatomical collection Vienna (Pathologisch-Anatomische Sammlung Wien; PASW) is aliving and still growing research collection. It was established as early as 1796 as part of the Medical University of Vienna, acquired the status of an independent federal museum in 1971, and was assigned to the Natural History Museum Vienna in 2012. It houses awide range of human wet and dry specimens and further objects, such as moulages, medical devices, microbiological and histological specimens, and aphoto archive (approximately 50,000objects), which, as ameaningful source, may contribute to disclosing not only aspects of the medical history and the development of corresponding museums in Vienna, but is also considered acollection of cultural and current scientific relevance, quite comparable to today's biobanks. Most of the tissue amassment represents wet organic specimens and human skeletons or skeletal elements representing, e.g., congenital and metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, injuries, neoplasms, or musculoskeletal diseases, basically collected as descriptive anatomical teaching aids. This article reviews the current medical issues on which research has been and is being conducted by including PASW specimens (hereby using the ICD-10 code), and the extent to and ethical conditions under which this important heritage could be used as areference collection for clinical and bioanthropological (paleopathological and palaeoepidemiological) studies; finally, this article reflects on the value and future research prospects, taking into account different positions and the ongoing discussions in pathological anatomical human tissue collections.

Morphometric study of the lumbar vertebrae in dried anatomical collections.

The objective of this anatomical study was to perform the morphometry of dried lumbar vertebrae in human cadavers. This study utilized 200 adult human cadaveric dried lumbar vertebrae. The digital Vernier calipers was used to perform the measurements. The height, antero-posterior length, transverse length of the body of the vertebrae, interpedicular distance at the lateral ends, lamina length, height and thickness, superior and inferior articular facet height and width, mid sagittal and transverse diameter of vertebral foramen, height, width and thickness of the pars inter-articularis were measured. The vertebral body's anteroposterior length was more at the lower border than at the superior border ( p < 0.01). The length of lamina was higher over the right in comparison to the left (p < 0.001). The height of lamina, width of inferior articular facet, diameter of lateral recess and thickness of pars inter-articularis were greater for the left sided specimens ( p < 0.01). The statistical significance was not observed for the comparison of the remaining parameters ( p > 0.05). This anatomical study offered several dimensions of lumbar vertebrae, which are essential in the surgical practice. The implants at the lumbar vertebrae need to be manufactured based on the anatomical dimensions of that particular sample population.

Deep learning in sex estimation from knee radiographs – A proof-of-concept study utilizing the Terry Anatomical Collection

Although knee measurements yield high classification rates in metric sex estimation, there is a paucity of studies exploring the knee in artificial intelligence-based sexing. This proof-of-concept study aimed to develop deep learning algorithms for sex estimation from radiographs of reconstructed cadaver knee joints belonging to the Terry Anatomical Collection. A total of 199 knee radiographs were obtained from 100 skeletons (46 male and 54 female cadavers; mean age at death 64.2 years, range 50–102 years) whose tibiofemoral joints were reconstructed in standard anatomical position. The AIDeveloper software was used to train, validate, and test neural network architectures in sex estimation based on image classification. Of the explored algorithms, an MhNet-based model reached the highest overall testing accuracy of 90.3%. The model was able to classify all females (100.0%) and most males (78.6%) correctly. These preliminary findings encourage further research on artificial intelligence-based methods in sex estimation from the knee joint. Combining radiographic data with automated and externally validated algorithms may establish valuable tools to be utilized in forensic anthropology.

Review: The Fate of Anatomical Collections, edited by Rina Knoeff and Robert Zwijnenberg

Review: The Fate of Anatomical Collections, edited by Rina Knoeff and Robert Zwijnenberg