Bone Asymmetry Research Articles

Rhabdomyosarcoma of parameningeal sites

Rhabdomyosarcoma arising in the skull base has a feature of its natural history that is unique in oncology: by virtue of parameningeal location and invasive behavior, it can extend intracranially and produce neoplastic meningitis. The four anatomic sites with this potential are the nasopharynx/nasal cavity, the middle ear, the paranasal sinuses, and the infratemporal fossa/pterygopalatine space. Patients with these primary sites comprise 41% of patients with head and neck sites and 15% of all patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. Most are under 10 years old at diagnosis (72%) and are Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) Clinical Group III (76%). IRS protocols over the last 20 years have lead to a gradual improvement in outcome while refining radiation treatment parameters to allow for restricted indications for (and then the elimination of) whole cranial radiotherapy ports. The current guidelines (Group III) are for a dosage of 1.8 Gy/d up to a total of 50.4 Gy using 2-cm margins around the gross tumor volume at diagnosis. The timing of radiotherapy in relation to combination chemotherapy is based on assessment of three risk factors that predict tumor access to the cranial subarachnoid space: skull base erosion, cranial nerve palsy, and intracranial extension. Patients with one or more factors begin radiotherapy concurrently with chemotherapy. The remaining one third of patients begin radiotherapy after induction chemotherapy (week 9). The 5-year failure-free survival rate for patients with Group III parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma on IRS-III was 71%. In the absence of the three risk factors, 5-year survival was 97%. The local failure rate was 15%. Among patients who achieved a complete or partial response (IRS-III), 5% had contiguous (nonhematogenous) central nervous system failure. Late effects of radiotherapy in these young patients are protean and include growth inhibition, cataracts, impaired dentition and hearing, and facial bone asymmetry. The promise of improvement of the therapeutic ratio may be realized from treatment refinements, which include chemotherapy response-based portal reduction, hyperfractionation, and conformal radiation therapy.

One-stage reconstruction of bladder exstrophy.

From 1984 to 1990 a primary one-stage reconstruction of bladder exstrophy was performed at our hospital on 15 consecutive infants. Reconstruction included Cohen's ureteral reimplantation, bladder neck reconstruction according to Young-Dees, bladder closure, symphyseal bone approximation, abdominal wall closure, and repair of epispadias in females. Postoperatively, all patients were immobilized by overhead extension. Iliac osteotomy was done in 9 children, but was abandoned in recent years for infants less than one month old Follow-up examinations included an interview with the parents, clinical examinations, blood and urine analyses, uroflowmetry, and ultrasound scan of the abdomen. Nuclear renal scan, i.v. pyelography, and cystography were carried out as indicated. At the time of last evaluation the children were between 3 and 9 years of age. The cosmetic results were satisfactory in all cases. Eight of 15 children were dry day and night with micturition intervals more than 3 hours during day time (complete continence). Five children were dry during day time with micturition intervals up to 3 hours, but occasionally wet their beds (partial continence). Two children were incontinent. Eleven of 15 children had a bladder capacity of more than 100 ml. Renal function was normal in all patients. Two children showed a mild VUR, and no other abnormalities of the upper urinary tracts were found. Iliac osteotomy did not influence the functional or cosmetic results, but in two patients asymmetry of pelvic bones with consecutive lumbar scoliosis was found. Comparing these results with reports on staged reconstructive procedures, we conclude that by primary complete one-stage reconstruction a well acceptable success rate is achieved, and that by this method possibly some advantages are offered to patients with bladder exstrophy.

Handedness and directional asymmetry in the long bones of the human upper limb

AbstractThe long bones of the human upper limb usually show lateral asymmetries of length. This pattern can be attributed either to the mechanical consequences of handedness bias or to genetic or hormonal factors acting directly on longitudinal bone growth. Length data was obtained from the long bones of the upper limbs of a large skeletal assemblage from Wharram Percy, Yorkshire (England), predominantly deriving from the 11th‐16th centuries A.D. The Wharram Percy adult skeletons had a population distribution of lateral asymmetries of length in the humerus and in the humerus‐plus‐radius (a proxy arm length index) which closely parallels the pattern of behavioural handedness found in modern populations. This pattern was developing in the skeletons from the infant and juvenile age ranges, but was absent in the neonates (of whom 12 out of 14 had longer left humeri). We argue that this supports the environmental hypothesis that the ontogeny of long bone length asymmetry is consequent to the earlier development of lateral bias in mechanical loading of the upper limbs.

Fluctuating asymmetry in the skeleton of the American kestrel, Falco sparverius: a test of the consequences of sexual size dimorphism

Fluctuating asymmetry, i.e., random, subtle departures from perfect bilateral symmetry, is believed to be a measure of developmental noise. The more physical stress an organism has undergone, the greater the asymmetry. We investigated the degree of fluctuating asymmetry in bones of the American kestrel (Falco sparverius) as a test of the developmental consequences of sexual dimorphism in size. The "cost of rearing" hypothesis predicts that females, because of their larger size, will suffer food shortages more often than males and hence show greater asymmetry. In contrast, the "female dominance" hypothesis predicts that females will be under less developmental stress because their size gives them an advantage when they compete with their brothers for limited food while in the nest. Significant fluctuating asymmetry was detected for all characters of both sexes; however, differences between males and females only approached statistical significance. We suggest that the degree of among-broods variation is so great that the role of gender in influencing developmental stability may be relatively small.

Healing of plated femoral osteotomies in dogs. A mechanical study using a new test method.

We investigated changes in whole bone flexural rigidity during healing of plated osteotomized beagle femora. Using a recently developed mechanical method, healing femora and their intact contralateral controls were tested in non-destructive bending in 24 planes at 15 degree angular increments. The elliptical distributions of flexural rigidity were used to define 4 parameters which describe the mechanical status of a healing bone relative to its control. Plates of 3 different rigidities were used in 21 beagles; 6 for 2 months and 15 for 6 months. 2 healing efficiency parameters, describing bone rigidity, indicated that plated femora may never reach the rigidity of their controls. One of the parameters, describing bone asymmetry, showed that changes in bone asymmetry occurred early in the healing process. Results at 6 months showed no differences in rigidity and asymmetry of bones plated with the different plates. This is attributed to antagonistic effects of axial and flexural rigidities of the plates on bone healing. Our results indicate that the method may be useful for bone healing research.

On the directional asymmetry of rhesus macaque forelimb bones.

American Journal of Physical AnthropologyVolume 87, Issue 4 p. 497-497 Notes and Comment On the directional asymmetry of rhesus macaque forelimb bones Rachel F. Baskerville, Rachel F. Baskerville 110 Cecil Road, Wadestown, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this author Rachel F. Baskerville, Rachel F. Baskerville 110 Cecil Road, Wadestown, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this author First published: April 1992 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330870409Citations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume87, Issue4April 1992Pages 497-497 RelatedInformation

Age‐ and sex‐associated variations in the directional asymmetry of rhesus macaque forelimb bones

Several investigators have questioned the significance of handedness as an explanation of directional forelimb asymmetries, yet little has been done to isolate other explanatory factors. In this investigation, we analyze 61 female and 76 male rhesus macaque skeletons for evidence of age- and/or sex-associated variations in ten forelimb bone measurements. All significant directional asymmetries are found to favor the right side. Although some of these asymmetries are found to favor the right side. Although some of these asymmetries are compatible with the interpretation of muscle hypertrophy associated with preferential use of the right forelimb, the overall pattern suggests that age- and sex-related ontogenetic factors deserve equal consideration. Significant sex differences in asymmetry means are present within and across age groups (juveniles, subadults, and adults), and numerous changes in asymmetry with age are also found. A pattern of decreasing asymmetry with age was found in males, with 40% of the ten measures being asymmetrical in juveniles, 30% in subadults, and 20% in adults. Among females, this pattern is reversed. No significant asymmetries were found for juvenile or subadult females, whereas 40% of the measures were asymmetrical in adult females. We conclude that greater consideration of age- and sex-related factors is necessary when drawing samples for the purpose of investigating asymmetries, and an awareness of trait-specific age and sex patterns of variation is necessary when citing forelimb asymmetries in demographically nonrepresentative populations as evidence of handedness or other behavioral asymmetries.

Changes in Activities with the Shift to Agriculture in the Southeastern United States

Changes in Activities with the Shift to Agriculture in the Southeastern United States

Directional asymmetry in the forelimb of Macaca mulatta.

Asymmetry was investigated in the forelimbs of 150 rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) skeletons using measurements of right and left humerii, radii, ulnae, second metacarpals, and femora. Seven of the ten forelimb dimensions were larger on the right than on the left side. Paired t-tests revealed that the mean of the right side was significantly larger than that for the left for two measurements of the ulna and two of the humerus. No measurement was significantly larger on the left than on the right side. These results indicate a small but significant asymmetry in the forelimb bones of rhesus monkeys and, as is the case for humans, the direction of asymmetry favors the right side. Our findings are consistent with an interpretation of hypertrophy of certain muscles and opens the question of whether rhesus monkeys preferentially use their right forelimbs for manipulative tasks that require manual dexterity, as is the case for humans. These forelimb skeletal asymmetries are discussed in light of the recent literature on cortical asymmetry and handedness in nonhuman primates.

Perinatal stress and increased fluctuating asymmetry of dental calcium in the laboratory rat.

Recent studies have consistently reported an increased magnitude of fluctuating dental, long bone, and membranous bone asymmetry as a function of perinatal stress. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that increases in the fluctuating asymmetry of calcium may be related to the metric changes in these calcium-dependent systems. Pregnant rats were exposed to noise stress from conception through weaning. Bilateral lower first molars were extracted from the neonates, and calcium levels were determined using a standard atomic absorption technique. Levels of fluctuating asymmetry of calcium were found to be significantly increased (p less than .01) in the audiogenic noise-stressed group compared to unstressed, normal controls. These results follow the pattern reported earlier for metric analysis of the dentition and support a stress-induced calcium-transport-disruption hypothesis.

Skeletal indicators of subsistence patterns and activity régime in the Mesolithic sample from Grotta dell’Uzzo (Trapani, Sicily): a case study

The skeletal sample from Grotta dell’Uzzo, Sicily (2 adult females and 5 adult males) was compared to a number of more representative population samples from Western Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. The majority of these were from Italian pre- and protohistoric sites. The research protocol analyzed skeletal indicators of labour activity and sexual division of labour (body size and proportions, sexual dimorphism, limb lateralization, bone robustness, the development of muscular attachments, accessory articular facets, signs of muscular hyperfunction). Sexual dimorphism and limb lateralization showed some regular patterns of possible general significance in all the samples examined here. A general pattern of gracilization and de-specialization of physical activity is observed in the Mesolithic as compared to the Upper Palaeolithic samples. The main features of the Mesolithic samples are: a reduction of body size and bone robustness, a lower degree of sexual dimorphism and limb bone asymmetry, a reduction of the mechanical stress on the lower limbs indicated by less pronounced muscular attachments and reduced talar flattening. This trend is reversed towards the Neolithic period. The main features of these variations are discussed in relation to economic and environmental changes. The Uzzo sample fits well into the general picture of the Western European Mesolithic, although showing some intermediate features between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic samples.

Bilateral Asymmetry of Long Arm Bones and Jugular Foramen: Implications for Handedness

The analysis of asymmetry of the arm long bones and of the cranial jugular foramen has been used to suggest handedness in humans. However, because of the unavailability of documented skeletal material, neither criterion has been systematically tested. If both criteria are associated with handedness, they should also be intercorrelated within individuals. Data were collected from skeletal material of 125 males and 57 females to test whether this intercorrelation exists. According to Chi-square analysis, no statistically significant association was identified. After examining several hypotheses, it was concluded that until further substantiation, neither criterion is related to handedness to a degree appropriate for forensic science identification from skeletal remains.

Prenatal stress and increased fluctuating asymmetry in the parietal bones of neonatal rats.

Recent studies have reported increased fluctuating dental and long bone asymmetry in neonates as a function of prenatal stress. The present study was designed to assess the effects of prenatal stress on a third calcium-dependent system, membranous bone. Pregnant rats were exposed to cold, heat, or noise from conception through parturition. Bilateral parietal bone lengths were measured in the term neonates. Levels of fluctuating asymmetry were found to be significantly increased (p less than .001) in all three stressed groups compared to unstressed controls. Results support the concept of a generalized stress response, and suggestions are offered for human osteological application.

Frontonasal dysplasia and its orodental aspects

The case is reported of a 4 1/2-year-old black female with macrocephaly and frontonasal dysplasia, characterized by ocular hypertelorism, a broad nasal bridge, a partially bifid nose, and some asymmetry of the facial bones. Orally, she showed a definite tendency toward mandibular retrognathism with a developing malocclusion. Although only 4 1/2 years old she had an advanced dental age of at least 6 years with the early eruption of the left maxillary incisor and two lower permanent incisors. Her early dental development was symmetrical and evident in all four quadrants.

Trigeminal neuralgia secondary to asymmetry of the petrous bone. Case report.

✓ This patient with a 12-year history of right trigeminal neuralgia had a marked asymmetry of the skull and petrous bone due to unilateral basilar impression of the right side. Partial section of the trigeminal root through a right subtemporal extradural approach was performed, with a good therapeutic result. Stretching and angulation of the root over the ridge of the elevated petrous bone was the probable cause of the trigeminal pain.

Fibrous dysplasia and asymmetry of facial bones caused by traumatic dental occlusion.

Asymmetry of facial bones is frequently seen in civilized races but do rarely occur in wild tribes. This observation is made repeatedly by dental investigators. They found that the development of facial bones is closely connected to the tooth bearing structures to which most facial deformities can be traced. The harmonious form and symmetry of the face is distorted by the deteriorating influence of dental caries which is primary a disease connected to civilization. Price (6) and others call attention to this, and he made the following observations among Eskimos in North America: “Among those living on efficient nature foods not a single case of irregularities of the dental arch and facial form was found.”

Partial gigantism: Overgrowth and asymmetry of bones and skeletal muscle

1. (1) This is a case of “true hypertrophy,” that is, one in which excessive growth of isolated bones of the feet is associated with voluminous lipomatosis of the plantar surface. The hypertrophy of the bone coexists with (a) two congenital vascular tumors; (b) asymmetry of the face; (c) strabismus; and (d) anomaly of the genital organs. 2. (2) The occurrence of hypertrophy of the toes is rare; it is even more exceptional that this malformation is combined with other congenital defects. 3. (3) The statistics show that hypertrophy of the toes is more frequent in males than in females. 4. (4) The operative findings revealed the presence of additional arteries in the areolar tissue of the hypertrophied toes, satisfying the augmented requirement of blood supply in the segment. 5. (5) The pathologic report of the involved bone demonstrated the presence of osteoporosis, fatty degeneration of bone marrow and active periosteal bone formation. This corresponds to Wieland's observations. The latter stated, contrary to what was taught by Caubet and Mercade, that hypertrophy of the toe is not a mere quantitative enlargement of the bone, because it presents histologic changes connected with hyperplastic and regressive processes.

Angiomas of the skeletal muscle: Combined operative and radiation therapy two case reports

Two cases of angioma of the skeletal muscles are here presented, unusual because of multiplicity, location, and size of the tumors, and the associated congenital deformities which include asymmetry and hypertrophy of bone and soft parts. A review of the literature gives incidence of angiomas in different locations, discussion of etiology and treatment. The treatment in the two cases shows that surgical removal of even extensive angiomas can be attempted without excessive blood loss. In one case, surgery was followed by roentgen therapy and in the other it was preceded by radium therapy. Adequate treatment by surgery, irradiation or surgery combined with radium or roentgen rays is advised, beginning at an age as young as possible since the vascular tissues of embryonic character yield readily to regressive changes. The prognosis is good in these cases, and no fatality has been noted from surgical or other treatment.