Gross Anatomy Research Articles

Neutralisation of SARS-CoV-2 by anatomical embalming solutions.

Teaching and learning anatomy by using human cadaveric specimens has been a foundation of medical and biomedical teaching for hundreds of years. Therefore, the majority of institutions that teach topographical anatomy rely on body donation programmes to provide specimens for both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of gross anatomy. The COVID‐19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to anatomy teaching because of the suspension of donor acceptance at most institutions. This was largely due to concerns about the potential transmissibility of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus and the absence of data about the ability of embalming solutions to neutralise the virus. Twenty embalming solutions commonly used in institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland were tested for their ability to neutralise SARS‐CoV‐2, using an established cytotoxicity assay. All embalming solutions tested neutralised SARS‐CoV‐2, with the majority of solutions being effective at high‐working dilutions. These results suggest that successful embalming with the tested solutions can neutralise the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, thereby facilitating the safe resumption of body donation programmes and cadaveric anatomy teaching.

Review: Pelvic nerves - from anatomy and physiology to clinical applications.

A prerequisite for nerve-sparing pelvic surgery is a thorough understanding of the topographic anatomy of the fine and intricate pelvic nerve networks, and their connections to the central nervous system. Insights into the functions of pelvic nerves will help to interpret disease symptoms correctly and improve treatment. In this article, we review the anatomy and physiology of autonomic pelvic nerves, including their topography and putative functions. The aim is to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms of pelvic pain and functional disorders, as well as improve their diagnosis and treatment. The information will also serve as a basis for counseling patients with chronic illnesses. A profound understanding of pelvic neuroanatomy will permit complex surgery in the pelvis without relevant nerve injury.

Donation of body for anatomical dissection in Sri Lanka: a review

Anatomy remains central for Medical Education which forms the basis of efficient and safe medical practice. Dissection of a cadaver is deliberated as an essential and valuable tool in teaching macroscopic anatomy for medical students. Apart from gaining knowledge and skills, the anatomical dissection aids in cultivating humanistic values, behaviors, and attitudes which are essential assets for an empathetic future medical practitioner. This manuscript highlights the dynamic history of acquiring human bodies for anatomical dissection, with a particular emphasis on Sri Lanka. Knowledge on the source of cadavers, and the manner by which they have been obtained, is fundamental for medical students to realize the ethical and legal challenges associated with procurement of cadavers. This knowledge will help to further students’ understanding of the evolving mindset of society, both past and present, regarding anatomical dissection and voluntary body donation. Through the study of the history of procuring cadavers, students are better positioned to appreciate the determination, generosity, and altruism of donors who have bequeathed their bodies for the educational needs of others. This, in turn, enables the students to consider the cadaver as their teacher, first patient or at best body of a fellow human being; not only to ensure that the body is treated in an ethically acceptable manner, but also to provide an empathetic foundation in students to provide the utmost care to their patients with kindness and due respect in their future medical practice. Thus the willed body donation plays a significant role in producing not only a competent but also a compassionate medical practitioner. In this manuscript, the body donation practices of Sri Lanka are reviewed along with the Taiwanese-originated silent mentor programme.

Morphological and Diagnostic Imaging Studies on Pelvic Cavity of Egyptian Female Baladi Goat (Capra hircus)

This presented study is designed to provide an in-detailed anatomic reference to the pelvic cavity of the female baladi goat through the topographical anatomy, cryo-sectional anatomy, computed tomographic examination (CT) and ultrasonographic evaluation. In addition to this, recording the different diameters of the pelvis. This study was set on thirteen healthy female baladi goats weighing 20–35 kg and age range from 8-18 months. The morphology of pelvic organs was particularly detailed through many CT scans and compared by cryo-cross sectional anatomy. The cadaver was frozen. then sliced at 3cm apart after that the cryo-sections were cleaned then photographed to be matched with the closest CT image to make it easy to identify accurately different structures. CT images were used to investigate female pelvis and its related viscera (part of rectum-uterus-vagina-urethra-urinary bladder- part of ureter). The dorsal boundary of pelvic cavity was long and it continued to third caudal vertebrae. The vesicogenital pouch was longer than vesicopubic and recto genital pouches. different pelvic diameters are recorded. Two-dimensional ultrasonographic evaluation considered complementary to other diagnostic modalities in pelvic cavity configuration. Ultrasonography can easily differentiate between different soft tissue depending on its characteristic components of basic tissue. Finally, it could be proved that the different diagnostic imaging as CT and ultrasonography contribute greatly in veterinary practice as the data obtained from diagnostic imaging can be used as a diagnostic tool and baseline data for educational ,clinical and research purposes .Beside that it can be used to evaluate the female goat reproductive performance specially in prediction of dystocia through examination of the pelvis.

Analysis of the lower jaw exoskeleton in finite element programs

A special place in the methods of surgical treatment of bone fractures is occupied by transosseous osteosynthesis using external fixation devices of various designs.Objective: to analyze the lower jaw exoskeleton in finite element programs.Materials and research methods. During the research, 36 human lower jaws were involved from the museum of the Department of Oper-ative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy of the Volgograd State Medical University. They were scanned in 3D. All obtained images were loaded into a virtual scene reconstruction program. Fractures of the lower jaws in the corner area were modeled, an apparatus for external fixation of the lower jaw exoskeleton was installed, and the chewing load on the lower jaw was simulated. The place of application of the force was an area on a small fragment of a repositioned 3D model of the mandibular bone corresponding to the place of attachment of the masseter muscle. The evaluation of virtual studies was carried out according to the results of the stress-strain states of the bones and apparatus, the schedule of displacements of objects and the results of the analysis of the safety factor.Research results and discussion. In the course of evaluating the virtual placement of the mini-fixator wires of the apparatus for external fixation of the lower jaw exoskeleton, it was revealed that the main load is applied to the mini-fixator wires on a large fragment and the bone in the area of the wires. For the possibility of precise positioning of the osteofixers of the external fixation device, a device for the safe installation of the spokes of the lower jaw exoskeleton was also developed.Conclusion. Thus, on the basis of computer mathematical analysis, it can be argued that the developed design of the apparatus for external fixation of the lower jaw exoskeleton works under conditions of the maxillofacial region, performs reposition and fixation of bone fragments of the lower jaw under conditions of chewing functioning of the restored fracture of the lower jaw.

Palpation of the Respiratory System in Osteopathic Manual Medicine: From the Trachea to the Lungs.

There is a lack of published literature in osteopathic manual medicine on how to perform palpation of the lower respiratory tree such as the trachea, main bronchi, and lungs. Several authors have studied the osteopathic effect and respiratory response of palpation but have failed to demonstrate how to perform palpation of the visceral areas involved in breathing, either in the context of a clinical trial or as a case report. This paper reviews the innervation of these anatomical areas, the mechano-metabolic weight of the passage of fluids and air in the respiratory tract, the anatomical topography, and the movements involved in respiration. Drawing from current knowledge, this article illustrates, for the first time, how to place the hands for an effective osteopathic assessment of the tracheal, bronchial, and pulmonary structures. Understanding how to perform palpation of the lower areas is a fundamental tool in the clinic and potential therapy in osteopathic manual medicine.

In memory of a teacher. V.N. Perepelitsyn: 75th anniversary of the birth

The article is devoted to the outstanding surgeon, MD, PhD, Professor, Head of the Department of Normal, Topographic and Clinical Anatomy, an excellent lecturer, scientists and teacher Vladimir Nikolaevich Perepelitsyn. He is always in our hearts.

Identification of tree species from the Peruvian tropical amazon “Selva Central” forests according to wood anatomy

The “Selva Central” of Peru is characterized by its forest species richness that produces quality wood for countless uses. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the wood and its macroscopic anatomy, which is an important tool for the botanical identification of tree species. For this purpose, 13 sawmills located in 3 provinces were selected that exploit several tree species of “Selva Central”. Sampling of representative woods was carried out, identified by common names and, in the laboratory, they were polished, examined, and grouped by the similarity of the macroscopic anatomical structure, leading to the tree species identification. Twenty tree species were identified, belonging to 17 genera, with emphasis on the Lauraceae and Fabaceae families. However, Moraceae, Meliaceae, Lecythidaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Bignoniaceae, Myristicaceae, Combretaceae, and Burseraceae families were also identified. The anatomical structures of all the identified tree species were described, transversal and longitudinal tangential cross section images were collected, and a species identification key was constructed. The implications and importance of tree species identification via wood anatomy were discussed, in terms of controlling forest exploitation, traceability of the production chain, and the future development of an artificial intelligence tree-species identification method.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ТОПОГРАФИЧЕСКОЙ АНАТОМИИ ЛИМФАТИЧЕСКИХ ЦЕНТРОВ И КОЛЛЕКТОРОВ ПРИ ПРОВЕДЕНИИ ХИРУРГИЧЕСКИХ ОПЕРАЦИЙ В ОБЛАСТИ ГОЛОВЫ У СОБАК

The article presents the features of the topographic anatomy of the lymphatic centers and collectors of the head area in dogs. The interrelationships of the cellular and vascular parts of the lymphatic system, as well as the organs associated with them, are established. The features of the structure of the mandibular, medial retropharyngeal and facial lymph nodes are described. Statistics on their availability are provided. The study also presents a detailed lymph supply to the orbital region and its significance in the pathogenesis of ophthalmopathies. Anatomical and topographic maps developed by the authors are of practical importance for all surgical interventions in the head area.

Topographic and Histologic Analysis of the Collateral Ligament Complex around the Elbow

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate topographic anatomy of the footprints of key ligaments of the elbow and assess their relationships with bony parameters using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Additionally, the ratios of type I/III collagen at the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) of elbow were investigated.Methods: Eleven cadaveric elbows attached by both the MCL and LCL were scanned using micro-CT and reconstructed three-dimensionally. Additionally, the ligaments were examined under polarized light microscopy to determine the histological characteristics of collagen patterns. Results: Areas of footprints of the MCL and LCL attaching onto the humerus were 133.2±25.8 mm² and 128.3±23.2 mm², respectively. Footprint sizes of anterior and posterior bundles of the MCL in the proximal ulna and lateral ulnar collateral ligament (LUCL) attaching to the proximal ulna averaged to 109.9 mm², 89.2 mm², and 89.7 mm², respectively. There were a positive correlation between footprint size of the MCL and LUCL at the humeral side and a negative correlation between the footprint size of the MCL at humeral side and maximal diameter of the radial head. The collagen I/III ratio of the humeral attachment of the MCL was higher than distal attachment of the MCL. Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of the pathologies of the MCL and LCL complex of the elbow and their relationships with osseous anatomy and may assist the clinician with an anatomic reconstruction of the ligaments.

Kim był Eduard Pernkopf i jaka jest prawda o jego atlasie anatomicznym?

Eduard Pernkopf (1888-1955) was an Austrian professor of anatomy who later served as a dean of the medical school and rector of the University of Vienna. Pernkopf himself joined the Nazi Party’s foreign organization in 1933. He is best known for his seven-volume anatomical atlas Topographical Anatomy of Man (“Topographische Anatomie des Menschen, Lehrbuch und Atlas der regionar-stratigraphischen Praparation”) often colloquially known as the Pernkopf atlas or just “Pernkopf”. It is considered a scientific and artistic masterpiece. It has been in recent years found that Pernkopf and the artists working for him: Erich Lepier, Ludwig Schrott, Karl Endtresser and Franz Batke used executed political prisoners as their subjects. Using a special treatment of the paper used for watercolor they created the images that look like living tissue in print. But they also used the Nazi symbols in their work for the atlas. In 1995 Pernkopf and his atlas came into the focus of a controversy in scientific ethics following the publication of a paper by Professor Edzard Ernst revealed that the subject bodies may have in some cases been those of executed prisoners and children killed in a Viennese hospital. A year later Dr. Howard Israel discovered many of the Nazi symbols in the artists’ signatures. Since then physicians have discussed whether it is ethical to use the atlas. This resulted in the establishment of the Senatorial Project of the University of Vienna in 1997. As a result, the atlas’ publisher directed that an insert noting this possibility be mailed to all libraries holding the atlas, and stopped printing new copies.

First Year Student Perception and Experience of Online Topographical Anatomy Laboratory Classes using Zoom Technology during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During semester one of 2020, the units ‘Functional Anatomy of the Trunk’ and ‘Functional Anatomy of the Limbs’ which focus on human topographical anatomy were re-designed into an online delivery format and taught remotely in response to the COVID-19 lockdown. It was expected that the move to remote teaching would negatively impact student perception and learning experience, in particular that of the cadaver-based laboratory work. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the replacement of traditional face-to-face cadaver-based anatomy laboratories with an online version using digital anatomy resources and Zoom technology as the communication platform would achieve comparable student learning experience and outcomes. First Year Students (n=69) enrolled in these units were invited to participate in this study and were asked at the conclusion of each unit to complete an anonymous opinion-based survey via Qualtrics. The Qualtrics data, student grades and Learning Management System (LMS) statistics were analysed. Results indicate that student perception of the online gross anatomy laboratory learning was positive and that it had complemented their learning. Most students agreed that as a visual learning resource, it provided an improved understanding of anatomy and helped with the application of anatomical knowledge. Interestingly, student performance showed a similar range of marks compared with previous years. However, students strongly agreed that the online 2D learning experience had significant limitations when compared to live use of cadavers in laboratories.

Human orbital muscle in adult cadavers and near-term fetuses: its bony attachments and individual variation identified by immunohistochemistry.

To compare fetal and adult morphologies of the orbital muscle (OM) and to describe the detailed topographical anatomy in adults. Using unilateral orbits from 15 near-term fetuses and 21 elderly cadavers, semiserial horizontal or sagittal paraffin sections were prepared at intervals of 20-100µm. In addition to routine histology, we performed immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle actin. At near term, the OM consistently extended widely from the zygomatic bone or the greater wing of the sphenoid to the maxilla or ethmoid. Thus, it was a large sheet covering the future inferior orbital fissure. In contrast, the adult OM was a thin and small muscle bundle connecting (1) the greater wing of the sphenoid to the maxilla (11/19 cadavers), (2) the lesser wing of the sphenoid to the maxilla (5/19) or the greater wing (3/19). The small OM was likely to be restricted within the greater wing (5/19 cadavers) or the maxilla (3/19). Two of these five types of OM coexisted in eight orbits. OM attachment to the lesser wing was not seen in fetuses, whereas ethmoid attachment was absent in adults. The lesser wing attachment of the OM seemed to establish after birth. A growing common origin of the three recti was likely involved in "stealing" the near-term OM attachment from the ethmoid. The strong immunoreactivity of remnant-like OM in the elderly suggests that OM contraction is still likely to occur against the increased flow through a thin vein. However, the contraction might have no clinical significance.

Anatomy of Cowper\u2019s gland in humans suggesting a secretion and emission mechanism facilitated by cooperation of striated and smooth muscles

This study presents the detailed anatomy of the Cowper’s gland in humans. Elucidating the mechanism of secretion and emission of the Cowper’s gland requires analysis of the muscles around the Cowper’s gland. We hypothesized that the Cowper’s gland involves not only smooth muscle but also the striated muscles of the pelvic floor. Here, we provide comprehensive and three-dimensional anatomy of the Cowper’s gland and its surrounding structures, which overcomes the current local and planar understanding. In this study, seven male corpses of body donors were used to conduct macroscopic anatomy, histology, and three-dimensional reconstruction. The Cowper’s gland was surrounded laterally and posterosuperiorly by striated and smooth muscles, respectively. The striated muscle bundle was connected from the superficial transverse perineal muscle, levator ani, and external anal sphincter to the external urethral sphincter (rhabdosphincter). The smooth muscle was part of the deep transverse perineal muscle and entered between the bilateral Cowper’s glands and lobules. Our findings indicate that the secretion and emission of the Cowper’s gland in humans are carried out through the cooperation of striated and smooth muscles.

Note to the Users of Pernkopf's Atlas of Topographical and Applied Human Anatomy.

Rector Müller and Professor Druml, on behalf of the Medical University of Vienna, have created this Note to the Users of Pernkopf’s Atlas of Topographical and Applied Human Anatomy, in the hope that libraries (and other owners) around the world will insert it into the books in their possession.
 Please download the PDF, print and insert this document into all volumes of the atlas in your personal and institutional reference collections.

What Should Be Done with Pernkopf's Anatomical Illustrations?: A Commentary from the Medical University of Vienna.

Thanks to a recent donation by Elsevier, the Medical University of Vienna now holds in its collections the known existing original paintings for Eduard Pernkopf's Atlas of Topographical and Applied Human Anatomy. The work is widely considered a pinnacle of the art of anatomical illustration. However, it is severely tainted by its historical origins. Pernkopf was a high-ranking National Socialist and co-responsible for the expulsion of hundreds of Jewish scientists and students from the university. Also, the Vienna Institute of Anatomy, which Pernkopf headed, received during the war the bodies of at least 1377 people executed by the regime, many for their political views or acts of resistance, including at least seven Jewish victims. Although it is impossible to individually identify the people used for the atlas, it is to be assumed that a considerable number of the paintings produced during and after the war are based on the bodies of these victims. Against this background, and out of respect for the victims, use of Pernkopf's atlas and its illustrations in medical teaching, training and practice should be - wherever possible without compromising medical outcomes - reduced to a minimum. Given the high variability of human anatomy, even the most detailed anatomical illustrations cannot replace teaching and training in the dissection room. As the experience at the Medical University of Vienna and elsewhere demonstrates, Pernkopf's atlas is far from irreplaceable. In keeping with the stipulations of the contract of donation, the Medical University of Vienna considers the Pernkopf originals primarily as historical artifacts, which will support the investigation, teaching and commemoration of this dark chapter of the history of medicine in Austria, out of a sense of responsibility towards the victims.

Nerve Surgeons' Assessment of the Role of Eduard Pernkopf's Atlas of Topographic and Applied Human Anatomy in Surgical Practice.

(Reprinted with permission from NEUROSURGERY, Volume 84, Number 2, February 2019).

Case of a double upper hollow ox (vena cаѵаsuperior duplex)

Working for the last year at the Institute of Operative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy under prof. P. M. Krasin, on one old, already shriveled corpse of a man of about 45 who died from an unknown cause, I noticed an unusual arrangement of large vessels of the mediastinum.

Editor's Comments: Journal of Biocommunication Special Issue on Legacies of Medicine in the Holocaust and the Pernkopf Atlas.

Welcome to the Journal of Biocommunication’s Special Issue 45-1. We have designated this publication as a JBC “Special Issue,” as it is devoted entirely to one topic. Our current Special Issue includes articles and commentaries all related to Eduard Pernkopf’s, Atlas of Topographical and Applied Human Anatomy. Our authors have provided in-depth discussions about the Pernkopf’s atlas’ dark history, the uncertain origin of cadavers used as references for the atlas, and medical crimes of the Third Reich. 
 Seven of the articles are authored by some of the world’s leading historians and authorities on the subject of the Pernkopf atlas and the abuses of Nazi medicine. These authors presented papers at a Holocaust Education Week Symposium that was held on Nov. 10, 2019, at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. This landmark Symposium was called, “The Vienna Protocol: Medicine’s Confrontation with Continuing Legacies of its Nazi Past.” The Symposium faculty included Susan Mackinnon, MD, Rabbi Joseph Polak, William E. Seidelman, MD, Sabine Hildebrandt, MD, Philip Berger, MD, Anne Agur, PhD, and Leila Lax, PhD, who also served as the Symposium coordinator and host.
 Table of Contents image credit: Medical University of Vienna, MUW-AD-003250-5-ABB-81.

Development and application of digital assistive teaching system for anatomy

BackgroundAnatomy is a required course for all medicine-related industries. In recent decades, the teaching quality and effect of anatomy have been compromised by factors including a decrease in human body specimens, dampened enthusiasm for the discipline, reduced teaching hours of anatomy, scale expansion of medical education, and obstacles in performing field autopsies and observations. MethodsBased on China's digitalized visible human research achievements, this article extracts the boundary information of anatomic structures from tomographic images, constructs threedimensional (3D) digital anatomical models with authentic texture information, and develops an anatomy assistive teaching system for teachers and students based on the knowledge points of anatomy, to meet the anatomy teaching requirements of different majors at various levels. ResultsThis scientific, complete, and holistic system has produced over 6000 3D digital anatomical models, 5000 anatomy knowledge points, 50 anatomical operation videos, and 150 micro demonstration classes, with teaching contents for different majors and levels, such as systematic anatomy, topographic anatomy, sectional anatomy, anatomy of motion, and virtual anatomical operation table. Ranging from network terminals, desktops, touchscreen 3D displays, desktops, and projection 3D volumetric displays to augmented reality, its diversified interactive forms meet the requirements for a learning environment in different settings. ConclusionsWith multiple teaching and learning links covered, such as teaching environment, teaching resources, instructional slides, autonomous learning, and learning effect evaluation, this novel teaching system serves as a vital component and a necessary resource in anatomy teaching and functions as an important supplement to traditional anatomy teaching. Applied and promoted in most medical colleges and schools in China, this system has been recognized and approved by anatomy teachers and students, and plays a positive role in guaranteeing the effect and quality of anatomy teaching.