Shell Injuries Research Articles

Shell injuries, repair and malformation in the early Cambrian mollusc Helcionella antiqua from Scania, Sweden

ABSTRACT Three cases of repaired injuries and malformation in specimens of the helcionelloid mollusc Helcionella antiqua (Kiær, 1917) from the lower Cambrian (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4) Gislöv Formation of southern Sweden document some of the oldest known durophagous attacks on Palaeozoic molluscs. Two of the injuries are developed as clefts, of which one had a severe effect on the continued growth of the shell. The third example is a large embayment removing large portions of the supra-apical part of the shell. A similar repaired injury is known in the slightly older mollusc Marocella mira Geyer, 1986. from Antarctica and Australia. The morphology of the injuries and the hydrodynamically quiet depositional setting suggests that the shell damage was caused by failed predatory attacks. The location of the repaired injuries suggests that the attacks may have targeted the head region of the molluscs, thus supporting an endogastrically coiled orientation of the shell in Helcionella. Only three repaired injuries in 252 Helcionella specimens were found, giving a shell repair frequency of 1.2%. All three examples occur in the larger size classes. The size-frequency distribution (N = 182) is strongly right skewed, which could suggest high input of juvenile specimens into the assemblage. The assemblage is interpreted as a time averaged and mixed death assemblage, albeit with good correspondence with the living shelly assemblage, due to a relatively thin, homogenous unit that may suggest within-habitat time averaging.

Innovation of new surgical technique to contour the missing bone in the face of survivors of traffic and war injuries by new modified Problast painted with a mixture of biocompatible materials.

The bone grafts taken from the patient himself (Auto genius graft) to restore the contour of the lost facial bone lost is the ideal technique on the road to recovery from injuries of war or traffic accidents. This novel surgical procedure utilizes a new modified Problast painted with a mixture of a biocompatible materials to restore the lost parts of the zygomatic bones, due to traffic accidents, shell injuries, or bullet injuries.

Foil tape—a simple, versatile tool for turtle shell repair

The repair of shell fractures in turtles is often delayed due to the time, labor and resources involved in many current shell repair methods, resulting in increased stress, handling and recovery time for the patient. This article introduces a new repair technique using aluminium foil tape combined with cyanoacrylate glue, which allows quick, simple and long-lasting closure of fresh shell injuries. Strips of malleable but inelastic foil tape are cut to size and positioned across the fracture at critical junctures, then glued in place on either side of the wound and burnished down to conform to surface irregularities and insure consistent adhesion. This technique is non-invasive, requires no curing time and can be customized for a wide range of turtle sizes and injuries, either as a stand-alone method or a preliminary stabilization tool. In the author’s experience, it has proven to be consistently effective at reducing fractures and staying in place until removal, when it is easily peeled off with no residual damage. The speed, ease and endurance of the foil tape method may encourage more widespread repair of fresh shell fractures and, in so doing, optimize recovery time and results for chelonian patients.

Use of Cost-effective Vacuum-assisted Closure Technique for Shell Fracture Repair and Coelomic Cavity Rupture Healing in a Chelonia carbonaria

Background: The vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy system has been used as a noninvasive wound management technique for shell damage in Chelonians. These animals are excellent candidates for VAC therapy because of their unique shell anatomyconsists of dermal bones, which make bandage placement easier. Beyond that, they are suited for this technique behaviorally, because they are not inclined to remove the vacuum system intentionally. Considering the possibility of Testudines shell repair with the use of less invasive techniques that result in additional dermal bone lesions, the objective of the present study is to describe the adaptation of a vacuum dressing protocol using low-cost and easily accessible materials for post-traumatic shell healing of a specimen of Chelonoidis carbonaria.Case: A specimen of tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria), a male, weighing 630 g, approximately 3-year-old, was received at the Veterinary Hospital - Wild Animals Sector in the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) because of being run over by a vehicle. On physical examination, fractures of the dermal plaques and underlying bone structures were found, with rupture of the coelomic cavity. In addition, there was exposure and incarceration of an intestinal loop, with the presence of bleeding. According to the findings of the physical screening examination, the patient's prognosis was defined as good, as described in the literature that specifically focused on chelonian shell injuries. The animal was sent to the diagnostic imaging sector. Then, drug therapy was provided for pain control, vitamins were administered for nutritional support, and antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs were instituted. For the closure of the shell and coelomic cavity, a bandage was used with the VAC therapy system adapted as described for Chelonians in previous reports. After a complete osteosynthesis and closure of the coelomic cavity, repair of the integumentary component of the shell was possible. For this procedure, the animal did not need to be anesthetized. The patient was physically restrained by being placed in suspension on a support with a diameter smaller than the plastron. Complete asepsis of the shell was necessary. On top of the lesion, a polypropylene mesh and color less dental resin were applied. The animal continued to be evaluated after the repair to check for potential complications. This procedure ensured that the repaired plates remained stable. Furthermore, the animal did not seem to have any discomfort with the resin when moving, so the animal was discharged after 25 days of hospitalization.Discussion: Radiography was important to determine the condition of the animal and clinical prognosis, and thus, to perform the proper treatment. The VAC therapy system was successful in assisting the patient's recovery. It enabled the reduction of the healing time since shell injuries usually require four to eighteen months to heal. In this report, the healing process only required 17 days, demonstrating that the VAC therapy system is a beneficial treatment to treat traumatic injuries in Testudines. The restoration protocol of the integumentary component using dental resin is less invasive, and this type of material has been used previously by other authors. Drug treatment with aminoglycosides and sulphonamides administered prophylactically has proven to be effective and has been used successfully in reptiles. These drugs may be combined with maintenance fluid therapy to prevent adverse reactions from aminoglycosides, such as nephrotoxicity. It was concluded that the use of the VAC therapy system reduced the time of post-traumatic healing of the carapace and proved to be an innovative approach to treat traumatic injuries in Testudines in a less invasive way.

War surgery in Afghanistan: a model for mass causalities in terror attacks?

PurposeThe aim of the study was to identify solution strategies from a non-governmental (NGO) hospital in a war region for violence-related injuries and to show how high-income countries (HIC) might benefit from this expertise.MethodsNGO trauma hospital in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. Four hundred eighty-four war victims admitted in a three month period (February 2016–May 2016) were included. Patients´ characteristics were analyzed.ResultsThe mean age was 23.5 years. Four hundred thirty-four (89.9%) were male, and 50 (10.1%) were female. The most common cause of injury was bullet injuries, shell injuries, and mine injuries. The most common injured body region was the lower extremity, upper extremity, and the chest or the face. Apart from surgical wound care and debridements, which were performed on every wound in the operation theatre, laparotomy was the most common surgical procedure, followed by installation of a chest drainage and amputation.ConclusionThe surgical expertise and clear pathways outweigh modern infrastructure. In case of a mass casualty incident, fast decision-making with basic diagnostic means in order to take rapid measurements for life-saving therapies could make the difference.

The repaired durophagous scar in the shell of a lingulid brachiopod immediately after the end Ordovician mass extinction

Repaired shell injuries, widely reported mainly on mollusks, give first hand evidence of biological activity in fossil communities. Scars in fossil brachiopods from predation are rarely found, particularly after major biotic crises. A repair scar on a lingulid brachiopod Pseudolingula? sp. that lived immediately after the end Ordovician mass extinction is reported for the first time here. The specimen, cohabited with other components of Cathaysiorthis fauna, was collected from the basal Shiyang Formation (earliest Rhuddanian, Llandovery, Silurian), Jiangxi, southeast China. The scar’s near-margin position and its drape-like shape, together with the quiet middle to deeper shelf living environment and nearly infaunal lifestyle of the species, suggest that the shell damage was biotic-induced, from a failed predation, possibly by a nautiloid cephalopod. The successful repair supports previous studies showing that environmental conditions ameliorated quickly after the extinction. To analyze its repair mode, another repaired specimen of its living relative Lingula anatina collected from the Yellow Sea, China was examined here as well. Compared to the much more efficient repair for the living lingulids, the drape-like structure of the scar on the shell of Pseudolingula? sp. is more similar to the published repair specimens of Cambrian lingulate brachiopods, which may indicate the evolution of its repair mechanisms.Bing Huang [bhuang@nigpas.ac.cn], State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China; Rongyu Li [lir@brandonu.ca] Department of Geology, Brandon University, 270-18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba R7A 6A9, Canada.

Management Of Lower Limb Vascular Injuries in Ghazi Al Hariri Teaching Hospital/Baghdad 2015

Background:lower limb vascular injuries are encountered in a vast number of settings, ranging from blast, bullet , stab wounds injuries, to causes as small as blood sampling procedures. Surgery for vascular repair is sometimes indicated without angiography. Broadly speaking, options for repair after assessment of vasculature include simple vessel wall repair, venous patching, resection with end-to-end anastomosis or with inter-positioning graft, bypass graft, ligation or amputation. Aim: The general objective of this study is to identify the etiology, presentations, management and outcome of lower limb vascular injuries in Ghazi Al Hariri hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2015. Patients and Methods: The study design was retrospective hospital based study and the study population included all patients who referred to the vascular surgery consultation clinic in Ghazi Al Hariri Hospital and to emergency department. Ninety patients had lower limb vascular injuries. Data collected using structured checklist and analyzed. Results:Eighty-five (94.5%) were males and five (5.5%) were females. The most common age at presentation was 21–30 years (50%), followed by 31–40 (24.4%). Blast penetrating shell injuries were the highest cause for lower limb vascular injury with incidence rate of 50%, while second cause is bullet penetrating injuries presented at 40%. Most common artery injured was the popliteal artery (40 patients; 44.4%) followed by the femoral artery (29 patients; 32.3%). Limb salvage rate was 85% and mortality rate was 7.8%. Conclusions: Our results revealed that blast injuries are the most frequent cause of lower extremity vascular injuries in Ghazi Al Hariri hospital at the period of our study. Appropriate intervention and rapid restoration of blood flow is crucial to have a good outcome and is the key to successfully salvage the injured limb. Amputation rate was the highest in patients with popliteal artery injuries.

The Impact of Blast Implosions and Bullet Injury on Maxillary Air Sinus.

Successive waves and generations of terrorists attacked the Iraqis in the years following the fall of the regime in Iraq in 2003, after the US invasion of the country under the pretext of weapons of mass destruction. Hence, the Iraqi people enrolled in ongoing war with these armed groups which led to massive casualties due to blasts and missile injuries.Mechanism of blasts injury can be classified into primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. While bullet injuries can be classified into low and high-energy injuries, the type and severity of the injury will influence the type of management, together with facilities available in the authors' hospitals.In this study the authors aim to compare between the effects of blast implosions and penetrating missiles on the maxillofacial air containing cavities, specifically the maxillary sinuses. Twenty-eight patients (26 male patients [92.85%] and 2 [7.14%] female patients) with maxillary sinus wall fractures were admitted to the authors' maxillofacial surgery Department in the Hospital of specialized surgeries/Baghdad Medical city from July 2014 to November 2016. Seventy-six percent of the total bullet injuries affect the left side of the face, while shell injuries tend to affect the right side of the face by 60% than the left side.Direct maxillary sinus injuries constitute 76.9% of the injuries caused by bullets, while it constitutes only 40% of shell injuries. Bullet injuries are associated with more severe comminuted fractures in addition to involvement of multiple neighboring bones and this may lead to extensive bone loss, while postoperative complications and infection are more common with improvised explosive devices injuries.

Magnet Attract Shell during Head and Neck Surgery

Objective: New method to use magnet for localization and extraction of shell during head and neck surgery. Method: Series of 3 cases study all are boy’s 17_15_5 years old respectively. All are with penetrating shell injuries to head and neck in Salahaden General Hospital-Tikrit city-Iraq from 25-Oct.-2016 to 30 March 2017. This hospital is a central general governmental hospital that receives referral cases from region distal to the center of Salahaden province at north of Baghdad city (capital of Iraq) and plays a major rule in management of injured patient during war. The cases are selected after explanation of this new method to the patients, it is expected result, risk, possible complication, and unexpected sequelae that may happen after surgery. Prior consent from patients and their families about this sort of surgery has been got. These patients are from families of low socio economic group except the last one he is medium class. All are undergoing surgical management with the aid of magnet. Result: we have 3 cases of shell injuries to head and neck magnet is used successfully for identification of shells and helps in their extraction. Our trial is limited for metallic objects and limited depth. Conclusion: These results suggest that magnet aid removal of shell during head and neck surgery, is less invasive technique, minimal trauma to the surrounding tissues and reducing time of surgery.

Surgical Reconstruction of Carapace Fracture in an Indian Black Turtle

Shell injuries are a common presentation in wild and captive turtles. There are many methods of fracture fixation, which based on the characteristics of the fracture. The present paper discussed about the surgical reconstruction of carapace fracture in an indian black turtle by using orthopedic wire and dental luting cement. An Indian black turtle/Indian pond terrapin (Melanochelys trijuga) weighing 1.1 kg was presented with a displaced fracture of the right side of the carapace involving IM, IIM, IIIM & IVM marginal, IP & IIP pleural and IVe vertebral scutes with a depressed fracture involving II pleural scute. The coelomic membrane was exposed but intact. The wound was noticed at the fractured site and was contaminated. A dorso-ventral radiograph revealed fractured and displaced carapace over the right forelimb with the intact spinal card. Under Ketamine sedation the fractured fragments were immobilized by 26G stainless steel orthopedic wire, inter fragmental space was sealed using dental luting cement (Lute glass) to avoid infiltration of water into wound when the turtle was left in the water. Enrofloxacin was administered intramuscularly at a dose rate 5 mg/kg every 48 hours interval of 6 days. Meloxicam was administered intramuscularly at adose rate 0.2 mg/kg body weight every 24 hours interval for 3 days post-operatively. After complete recovery the turtle was released in its natural habituated place.

High incidence of shell injuries in an isolated population of the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera) from Romania

Abstract Testudo graeca is one of the two species of tortoises from Romania, the other one being Testudo hermanni. It is well known that this species has a broad but fragmented distribution range and this fact labels this species as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. The population of Testudo graeca ibera from the Natura 2000 site “Marine dunes from Agigea” is characterized by a high percentage of injuries (84%) from the total of 43 individuals found alive. A high percentage of individuals have injuries on all the plates from carapace and plastron. All lesions appear to be chronic, suggesting that there is a series of predisposing factors, such as: inadequate terrain (concrete, metal, broken glass and other hard objects), high-density dog population and coprophagia, which could be a sign of unbalanced nutrition. This is the first report of a population of Testudo graeca which has such a high percentage of individuals with shell damage.

Predation scar frequencies in chemosymbiotic bivalves at an Oligocene seep deposit and their potential relation to inferred sulfide tolerances

Three species of chemosymbiotic bivalves with different inferred sulfide tolerances and life habits from a lower Oligocene seep deposit in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, were investigated for drill holes and scars of durophagous predation. The thyasirid Conchocele bisecta had the lowest inferred sulfide tolerance and showed the highest frequencies of repair (0.4) and drilling predation (0.1), and specimens with drill holes were on average smaller than non-drilled specimens, indicating that large size is a refuge from drilling predation in this species. The bathymodiolin Bathymodiolus inouei and the vesicomyid Hubertschenckia ezoensis are inferred to have lived at higher sulfide concentrations than C. bisecta based on comparisons to their living relatives, and show lower repair frequencies (0.24 in B. inouei and 0.17 in H. ezoensis). Based on the assumption that increased sulfide concentrations are increasingly toxic to predators, we conclude that the frequency of shell injuries in the three investigated species is inversely related to the sulfide concentrations that these species are able to tolerate. Thus when applied carefully, the frequency of shell injuries among shelled invertebrates at fossil seeps may be used to infer their relative tolerances toward sulfide, and may thus represent a tool to assess the life habits of extinct invertebrates that inhabited methane seeps in the geologic past.

Does seawater acidification affect survival, growth and shell integrity in bivalve juveniles?

Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide are leading to decreases in pH and changes in the carbonate chemistry of seawater. Ocean acidification may negatively affect the ability of marine organisms to produce calcareous structures while also influencing their physiological responses and growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of reduced pH on the survival, growth and shell integrity of juveniles of two marine bivalves from the Northern Adriatic sea: the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the striped venus clam Chamelea gallina. An outdoor flow-through plant was set up and two pH levels (natural seawater pH as a control, pH 7.4 as the treatment) were tested in long-term experiments. Mortality was low throughout the first experiment for both mussels and clams, but a significant increase, which was sensibly higher in clams, was observed at the end of the experiment (6 months). Significant decreases in the live weight (−26%) and, surprisingly, in the shell length (−5%) were observed in treated clams, but not in mussels. In the controls of both species, no shell damage was ever recorded; in the treated mussels and clams, damage proceeded via different modes and to different extents. The severity of shell injuries was maximal in the mussels after just 3 months of exposure to a reduced pH, whereas it progressively increased in clams until the end of the experiment. In shells of both species, the damaged area increased throughout the experiment, peaking at 35% in mussels and 11% in clams. The shell thickness of the treated and control animals significantly decreased after 3 months in clams and after 6 months in mussels. In the second experiment (3 months), only juvenile mussels were exposed to a reduced pH. After 3 months, the mussels at a natural pH level or pH 7.4 did not differ in their survival, shell length or live weight. Conversely, shell damage was clearly visible in the treated mussels from the 1st month onward. Monitoring the chemistry of seawater carbonates always showed aragonite undersaturation at 7.4 pH, whereas calcite undersaturation occurred in only 37% of the measurements. The present study highlighted the contrasting effects of acidification in two bivalve species living in the same region, although not exactly in the same habitat.

Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1) infection prevalence and risk factors in a Mexican lobster fishery employing casitas

In Bahía de la Ascensión in Mexico, the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus fishery is based on extensive use of artificial shelters (casitas) that can harbor both juveniles and adults of this highly gregarious species. There is concern that the use of casitas might increase contact transmission of Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1). However, a previous study found no evidence for lobster crowding within casitas influencing the prevalence of clinical PaV1 disease, although differences in clinical prevalence were noted between different bay environments. To investigate this more closely, 683 lobsters were sampled from casitas in 2 zones in this bay (Vigía Chico, a shallow low-vegetation zone, and Punta Allen, a deeper dense-vegetation zone) previously found to have the lowest and highest prevalence, respectively, of observed clinical signs. When hemolymph collected from these lobsters was tested by PCR, the prevalence of PaV1 infection was found to be significantly lower in Vigía Chico relative to Punta Allen irrespective of season or the size, sex, or presence of shell injuries on lobsters. Among 714 large commercial-catch lobsters collected throughout the bay, the prevalence of infection was low irrespective of year or sex. For all lobsters tested, the sensitivity (0.510) at which PaV1 infection was detected by observed clinical signs was about half that determined by PCR, but the specificity of clinical signs was absolute (1), indicating that a simple 2× correction factor can be used to accurately estimate PaV1 infection prevalence based on more easily conducted visual assessments of lobsters.

Evidence of predation in Early Cretaceous unionoid bivalves from freshwater sediments in the Cameros Basin, Spain

Here, we present evidence of possible vertebrate predation on freshwater bivalves from the Lower Cretaceous strata of the Cameros Basin (Spain). The described collection contains the largest number of vertebrate-inflicted shell injuries in freshwater bivalve shells yet reported in the Mesozoic continental record. Several types of shell damage on fossil shells of Protopleurobema numantina (Bivalvia: Unionoida) are described and their respective modes of formation interpreted in the context of morphological attributes of the shell injuries and the inferred tooth morphology of predators that could have inflicted such injuries. Detailed study of these bite marks shows similarities with the well-documented injuries in the shells of marine molluscs, namely ammonoids, that have likewise been attributed to reptilian predators. The most parsimonious interpretation suggests crocodiles as the vertebrates interacting with the bivalves in the Cameros Basin. □Barremian–Aptian; bite marks; freshwater bivalves; predation; reptile; Unionoida.

Sublethal shell injuries in Late Devonian ammonoids (Cephalopoda) from Kattensiepen (Rhenish Mountains) doi: 10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0173

The ammonoids from the middle Famennian black limestone nodules at Kattensiepen (Rhenish Mountains) are known for their excellent preservation and show frequent sublethal shell damage of varying dimensions and of the finest detail. 76% of all specimens show traces of predation. This is the highest frequency of shell repairs known from the Palaezoic. While small individuals are less frequently affected, nearly all adult specimens of the species Platyclymenia annulata, Pl. subnautilina, Pleuroclymenia costata, and Prionoceras divisum display repaired injuries. Usually, the specimens show multiple areas of damage, which can be classified into several categories. Most of the points of damage are small, affecting only the margin of the aperture; they usually occur on both sides of the conch. Shell damage, which can be interpreted as bite marks are rare; the majority of shell injuries derive perhaps from arthropod attacks.

Management of aquatic turtle shell fractures

In a previous column, the author discussed the overall management of turtle shell injuries. This column continues by describing basic techniques for repairing and stabilizing fractured turtle shells.

Management of freshwater turtle shell injuries

Repair of injured turtle shells can be difficult and time-consuming. This article describes how to manage the freshwater turtle in this phase of healing and how to keep fracture sites 'water-free'.

Experience of pulmonary surgery for thoracic trauma in Iraq

The aim of this study was to analyze the surgical outcome of lung injuries in the Department of thoracic surgery of Alhakeem and Alsader teaching hospital in Najaf city which drained patients from middle euphrates region of Iraq. Medical records of 820 patients with thoracic trauma were analyzed, during the period from September 2001 to September 2007. The analysis includes The following variables: Age and gender of patients, mechanism and scale of injury, diagnostic technique, the performed surgical procedure, and mortality. All cases were classified according to the scale of lung injury. Most patients were male 802 (97.8%) and only 18 (2.2%) were female, average age of the patients were 25 years (range: three months to 70 years). The Mechanism of injury was gun shot in 315 (382.41%) patients, missiles and shell injuries in 275 (33.53%), stabbing by knife and other similar objects in 125 patients(15.24%), and by blunt chest trauma in 105 (12.80%) patients. fourth degree thoracic injury was the most frequent as it involved 410 patients (50.00%), followed by The Grade III in 265 (32.32%) patients, grade II and V in 65 (7.93%) and 62 (7.56%) cases respectively, and the grade I in 18 (2.19%) cases. Ten thoracotomies were done urgently in emergency unit and 510 thoracotomy operations in the main operating room. The most frequent surgical technique was simple suture of injured pulmonary parenchyma as It was practiced in 432 (52.68%). The average intra-hospital stay was seven days (range: 2 to 17 days). Mortality and morbidity were reported as (1.58%) 13 and ( 2.80%) 23 respectively. Time factor in the diagnosis and specific surgical treatment in thoracic trauma were considered an important elements in decreasing post-operative mortality and morbidity from lung injury.

Ecological effects of major injuries in diamondback terrapins: implications for conservation and management

Abstract Many turtle species frequently suffer major injuries due to attempted predation or anthropogenic factors. Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are one species known to be affected by anthropogenic activity, but little is known about the causes of injuries. In declining diamondback terrapin populations, learning more about causes and results of injuries can be helpful in developing sound management plans. Patterns of limb loss and major shell injuries were examined in a population of terrapins studied for 24 years at Kiawah Island, South Carolina to infer the causes and effects of injuries and possible predators on terrapins. The rate of shell injuries increased temporally, possibly as a result of increased watercraft activity. Because no differences in rates of limb loss were found between males and females, limb loss probably results from aquatic encounters (i.e. limb loss does not appear to be the result of terrestrial predation during nesting). Furthermore, males experienced reduced body condition when injured, and terrapins with a major injury had lower survivorship than uninjured terrapins. Therefore, in addition to reducing sources of mortality and protecting nesting habitat, measures to protect terrapins from watercraft activity may increase the survivorship of adult terrapins. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.