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Spinal Cord and Reflexes
Published in Nassir H. Sabah, Neuromuscular Fundamentals, 2020
Vertebrates are distinguished from other animal species by having a bony vertebral column that encloses the spinal cord, which is bathed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the column. The vertebral column provides mechanical protection to the spinal cord in the same manner as the skull provides mechanical protection to the brain. The CSF adds a cushioning effect to both the brain and the spinal cord and serves other functions, such as transporting chemical substances between various parts of the nervous system, including the supply of nutrients and the removal of waste products.
Unusual Inherited Pulmonary Diseases Which Provide Clues to Pulmonary Physiology and Function
Published in Stephen D. Litwin, Genetic Determinants of Pulmonary Disease, 2020
Thomas Κ. C. King, Robert A. Norum
Scoliosis or lateral curvature of the spine arises as a result of abnormalities involving the bony structure of the vertebral column and/or the neuromuscular apparatus. It is a manifestation of numerous disorders, congenital and acquired, and many with a hereditary basis. Depending on the mechanism of production, scoliosis may be classified into four major groups.
The Musculoskeletal System and Its Disorders
Published in Walter F. Stanaszek, Mary J. Stanaszek, Robert J. Holt, Steven Strauss, Understanding Medical Terms, 2020
Walter F. Stanaszek, Mary J. Stanaszek, Robert J. Holt, Steven Strauss
The spine or vertebral column in most adults consists of thirty-three separate bones called vertebrae. The vertebral column is divided into five regions. Just below the skull is the cervical (cervix = neck) region. Below the cervical region, in the chest area, is the thoracic (thorax = chest) region, which is followed in turn by the lumbar (lumbar = loin) region. Below the lumbar region is the spade-shaped bone called the sacrum. Finally, the coccyx is formed from additional fused vertebrae. These last two regions are sometimes referred to as false vertebrae because, unlike the bones in the upper three regions, they are not separate and movable.
Findings in ancient Egyptian mummies from tomb KV64, Valley of the Kings, Luxor, with evidence of a rheumatic disease
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 2023
LM Öhrström, R Seiler, S Bickel, F Rühli
The cervical vertebrae C1–C6 (which are skeletonized and each individually separated from the rest of the vertebral column) show pathological changes, notably osteophyte formation. In particular, the dens axis is strongly affected, as well as vertebrae C4 and C5, which show considerable osteophyte formation at the anterior and posterior vertebral body (Figure 4). The spinous process of vertebra C3 is (post-mortem) fractured; the distal end is missing. The rest of the vertebral column from C7 downwards is intact and found in the anatomical position. However, the spine is malpositioned, showing a hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine and a thoracoabdominal scoliotic deformation, which is probably due to post-mortem positioning. On the lateral radiographs, the vertebral alignment of the thoracic and lumbar spine appears to be intact, and no obvious height reduction of the vertebrae or substantial osteophytic formation is observed. On the anteroposterior projections, on the other hand, a pointed osteophytic outgrowth can be assumed at the endplate of the lumbar vertebra L2 on the right side. No obviously pathological calcifications in the surrounding soft tissues are observed. However, C7 and the proximal part of the thoracic spine are difficult to interpret in the lateral projections owing to superimposition of other anatomical structures.
Adolf Kussmaul (1822–1902), and the naming of “poliomyelitis”
Published in Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 2022
Nadeem Toodayan, Eric Matteson
After two years of service, he moved into a private country practice in March of 1850 and was married to Amanda Luise Wolf (1828–1898) in September of the same year (Kussmaul 2000, 81, 110). Kussmaul’s kindly disposition, strict work ethic, and broad professional experience brought him great success as a general practitioner in Kandern, but the stresses of a large practice led to him becoming increasingly overworked in this role. After three days of work without sleep in freezing conditions in late February of 1853, the town’s most trusted doctor was laid up in bed with a serious illness: My legs were extremely weak. I could hardly stand on them. They were paralyzed, the feet numb, cramps seized me in the legs, and I had total paralysis of the bladder. It was evidently an inflammation of the spinal cord, or its membranes, in the lower part of the vertebral column; a terrifying prognosis. The inflammation could either advance upward from the lumbar to the neck, paralyze my arms and finally my respiratory organs so that I would suffocate, or might go farther down, leaving the lower part of the body paralyzed and, probably, disable me from practicing my profession for life. I was in a very bad state. (Kussmaul 1899, 482–83; translated in Kussmaul 1981, 339)
A review of the hemivertebrae and hemivertebra resection
Published in British Journal of Neurosurgery, 2022
Beixi Bao, Hui Yan, Jiaguang Tang
The distal adding-on phenomenon is a postoperative loss of correction accompanied by the progressive deviation and rotation of the lumbar spine or wedging of the disc space that is distal to the instrumented vertebra. The cause of the distal adding-on phenomenon is unclear but it may be a compensatory change for preserving a well-balanced spine such as balanced shoulder level and truncal shift and listing. This phenomenon is most common in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Though, it can also occur after surgery for congenital scoliosis (CS). Chang et al. first reported the adding-on phenomenon after completing HV resection. According to their research, two of the patients showed distal adding-on deformity with a progression of the Cobb angle of more than 10° during the postoperative follow-up and they were treated with a brace. They also reported the long-term radiographic outcomes of posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR) in patients with congenital scoliosis. Five patients displayed distal adding-on deformity with a progression of the curve. Among these 5 patients, 2 were fitted with a brace.