A morphometric study of the lumbar foramen

The authors undertook a morphometric study of the intervertebral foramina in anatomic specimens of spines unaffected by degenerative lesions. They studied the variations in shape and size of 38 intervertebral foramina during flexion-extension movements and following an isolated disc collapse. The cast technique takes into account the bony prominences, the bulge of the disc anteriorly and of the capsulo-ligamentous structures posteriorly. In flexion, all the diameters of the foramina are maximal. In full extension all the diameters decrease significantly: the pedicles come closer together, the disc bulges posteriorly and the ligamentum flavum is pushed forward by the superior articular process of the underlying vertebra. A disc collapse of 4 mm decreases all the diameters, and in this case lumbar extension results in a sufficient decrease of foraminal diameter to threaten the nerve root.     

An investigation of the origin, location and variations of the renal arteries in human fetuses and their clinical relevance

We investigated the origin, localizations and anatomic variations of the renal artery (RA) in human fetuses with the aim of determining the distribution of these variations according to lateralization and gender. In total, 90 fetuses of spontaneous abortion (45 males, 45 females) with no congenital malformations were included to the study. The abdominal aorta and its branches were dissected after latex solution colored with red ink had been injected into the vessels from the thoracic aorta. In all, 180 RA dissections were performed bilaterally in 90 cases and the anatomic variations were photographed. Right and left RAs were found to originate from the following levels according to the columna vertebralis, respectively: 3.8% and 1.9% lower T12, 67.3% and 25.0% upper L1, 9.6% and 28.8% mid L1, 15.3% and 40.3 lower L1, 3.8% and 3.8% upper 1/3 part of L2 vertebra. The right RA originated from the lateral part and anterolateral wall of the abdominal aorta in 73.0% and 26.9% of cases while the lateral and anterolateral wall origin percentages of left RA were 90.3% and 9.6%, respectively. The origin site of the right RA from the abdominal aorta was superior to, at the same level with, and inferior to that of the left RA in 53.8%, 34.6% and 11.5% of the cases, respectively. There were no variations in 75% of the cases whereas the remaining 25% had several variation patterns. The presented morphological results are as follows: A single hilar artery in 75% of the cases, double hilar arteries in 11.1%, an inferior polar artery in 10.5%, and a superior polar artery in 3.3% of specimens studied. Anatomical variations were observed more frequently among male fetuses and on the right side. Knowledge of RA variations is important for surgeons in performing many procedures and may help to avoid clinical complications, especially, during radiological examination and/or surgical approaches in the abdominal region.     

Anatomical variations of the human suprarenal arteries

This is on anatomical study of the suprarenal arteries and their variations in 30 cadavers aimed at providing in a subsequent article the anatomical basis of arterial segments of the gland. The suprarenal glands were supplied by 3 main groups of suprarenal arteries: superior, middle and inferior. Only the superior and the inferior groups were present in all cases, since the middle vessels appeared in only 93.3% +/- 4.6 of the cases. The superior group included on each side 4 arteries in males and 5 in females; the middle group presented only 1 artery on each side in both males and females, and the inferior group exhibited on each side 2 arteries in males and 1 artery in females. The most variable group was the middle one, the aortic origin being the most frequent but with a relatively low incidence (53.3% +/- 9.1 on the right and 46.7% +/- 9.1 on the left). The superior group originated from the posterior branch of the ipsilateral inferior phrenic artery in 83.3% +/- 6.8 on the right and 80% +/- 7.3 on the left. The arteries of the inferior group were branches of the ipsilateral renal artery in 70% +/- 8.4 on the right and 50% +/- 9.1 on the left. The origin of the middle suprarenal arteries from the trunk of the inferior phrenic artery on both sides (26.7% +/- 8.1 on the right and 36.7% +/- 8.8 on the left) should be considered relevant. The anatomical findings warrant a further investigation for the identification, illustration and nomenclature of arterial anatomicosurgical segments.     

人胚胎气管壁组织发生的研究

目的：了解气管壁的组织发生及探讨婴幼儿呼吸道疾病的相关因素。方法：应用ＨＥ及ＰＡＳ反应,光镜观察。结果：８周的胚胎,气管壁由２－３层复层柱状上皮细胞及外周的间充质构成,上皮细胞的ＰＡＳ反应为阳性。     

Frequency of multiple renal arteries in human fetuses

Purpose  

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of occurrence of multiple renal arteries in human fetuses.     

Radiographic analysis of the arteries of human lumbar lymph nodes.

Twenty-seven cadavers (12 male, 15 female aged 28 to 94 years, average 75 years) were dissected to analyze the arterial supply of the lumbar lymph nodes with angiography and an image processor-analyzer. The lymph nodes on the left side of the abdominal aorta fused to form several elongated nodes. The lymph nodes on the right side remained separated. A few lymph nodes aggregated below the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. They received a few branches directly from the abdominal aorta or from the renal, gonadal and/or iliac arteries, which anastomosed with each other to form an arterial arc. This anastomosis gave small paired twigs to the parenchyma continuously. In the case of well developed lymph nodes dorsal to the inferior vena cava, a vessel from the lower abdominal aorta passed upward to supply them. The diameter of these vessels in the angiogram was 0.09-0.27 mm, measured with the image processor-analyzer. These results show that the lumbar lymph nodes do not receive a single artery through the hilus, but through several branches, whose anastomoses form a collateral system associated with the abdominal aorta.     

A morphometric study of normal human liver cell nuclei.

Using the projecting method, measurements were made of the size of nuclei of liver cells in liver biopsies taken from ten patients with normal liver histology and normal liver function tests and from two patients with acromegaly. For the statistical analysis a parametric model of the distributions of the nuclear radii, the chi distributions, was used, making an estimation of the frequencies of di-, tetra- and octaploid nuclei possible. The distribution of the lengths of the nuclear radii was consistent with normal distributions corresponding to the different ploidy classes. Diploid nuclei constituted 84 to 99 per cent of the liver cell nuclei, and the frequency of polyploid nuclei increased with increasing age. Samples of nuclei within the same biopsy revealed significant differences in the mean radius of diploid nuclei and in the frequency of polyploid nuclei. This biological variation must be taken into account in the interpretation of karyometric data. One of the patients with acromegaly had a higher frequency of polyploid nuclei than seen in normal patients, and in both patients with acromegaly the size of diploid nuclei was large compared with normals. The frequency of binuclear nuclei was unrelated to age and frequency of polyploid nuclei, but males were found to have more binuclear liver cells than females.     

Influence of antihypertensive treatment on basal cerebral arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats. A morphometric study

Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) were treated with a combination of a beta 1-blocker (metoprolol) and a calcium antagonist (felodipine) from 1 to 4 or from 4 to 6 months of age. Basal cerebral arteries were fixed by immersion and embedded in plastic. The ratio between media thickness and luminal radius was determined in cross-sectioned arteries for a standardized condition, assuming a smooth and circular internal elastic membrane. The treatment caused a significant decrease in blood pressure and a normalization of m/r ratios in basal cerebral arteries when initiated in young as well as in adult SHR and SHRSP, i.e. the therapy efficiently prevents as well as reverses hypertensive arterial changes. Even though 4-month-old treated rats were still significantly hypertensive, their m/r ratios did not differ from those of normotensive controls. The latter results may indicate that the treatment affects the vessel walls also through other mechanisms than by decreasing the pressure load.     

Age-related changes of the human ciliary muscle. A quantitative morphometric study.

The age-related changes of the ciliary muscle of human eyes (33-87 years) were studied on histological meridional sections. Eighty-five melanoma eyes and 10 eyes of normal donors were investigated. The total area and the length of the muscle, the area of the three main portions and the distance of the inner apex of the muscle to the scleral spur were determined and correlated with age. Total area and length of the muscle show a continuous and significant decrease with age. The area of the longitudinal and reticular portion continuously decreases, whereas the area of the circular portion significantly increases with age. The decrease in area is more pronounced in the longitudinal portion than in the reticular portion of the muscle, which shows an age-related increase in connective tissue. In addition, the distance of the inner apex of the muscle to the scleral spur shortens continuously. Thus, with increasing age the ciliary muscle adopts an anterior-inward position. A similar form is seen in young eyes after ciliary muscle contraction only. There might be a functional relationship between the observed age-changes in the ciliary muscle system and the phenomenon of the so-called 'lens paradox' (steepening of the anterior and posterior curvatures of the disaccommodated lens with age).     

A morphometric study of the lumbar spinous process in the Chinese population

Our goal was to analyze the anatomical parameters of the lumbar spine spinous processfor an interspinous stabilization device designed for the Chinese population and tooffer an anatomical basis for its clinical application. The posterior lumbar spines(T₁₂-S₁) of 52 adult cadavers were used for measuring thefollowing: distance between two adjacent spinous processes (DB), distance across twoadjacent spinous processes (DA), thickness of the central spinous processes (TC),thickness of the superior margin of the spinous processes (TS), thickness of theinferior margin of the spinous processes (TI), and height of the spinous processes(H). Variance and correlation analyses were conducted for these data, and the datamet the normal distribution and homogeneity of variance. DB decreased gradually fromL_1-2 to L₅-S₁. DA increased fromT₁₂-L₁ to L_2-3 and then decreased fromL_2-3 to L_4-5. The largest H in males was noted atL₃ (25.45±5.96 mm), whereas for females the largest H was noted atL₄ (18.71±4.50 mm). Usually, TS of the adjacent spinous process waslower than TI. Based on the anatomical parameters of the lumbar spinous processesobtained in this study, an “H”-shaped coronal plane (posterior view) was proposed asan interspinous stabilization device for the Chinese population. This study reportsmorphometric data of the lumbar spinous processes in the Chinese population, whichprovides an anatomical basis for future clinical applications.     

Morphometric study of the ascending aorta in human fetuses.

The present study was performed on 128 spontaneously aborted human fetuses, aged 15-34 weeks, to compile normative data for ascending aorta dimensions at varying gestational age. Using anatomical dissection, digital-image analysis (system of Leica QWin Pro 16) and statistical analysis (ANOVA, regression analysis) a range of measurements (Length, original and terminal external diameters, volume) for the ascending aorta during gestation was examined. No significant gender differences were found (P > 0.05). The growth curves of the best fit for the plot for each morphometric feature against gestational age were generated. Both the Length and external diameters of the ascending aorta were found to increase in a linear fashion throughout gestation. The Length ranged from 2.63 +/- 0.42 to 10.80 +/- 1.49mm, according to the linear function y = -4.678 + 0.4647x +/- 0.8447 (r = 0.95). The original external diameter ranged from 2.02 +/- 0.26 to 6.84 +/- 0.63 mm, according to the linear model y = -2.103 + 0.2684x +/- 0.3958 (r = 0.97). The terminal external diameter ranged from 1.73 +/- 0.20 to 6.29 +/- 0.52 mm, with accordance to the linear function y = -2.354 + 0.2567x +/- 0.3826 (r = 0.97). The ascending aorta volume ranged from 7.56 +/- 2.65 to 370.99 +/- 105.42 mm3, according to the quadratic function y = 373.1 - 43.38x + 1.30x(2) +/- 24.51 (R2 = 0.89). The growth curves generated from my data might be useful as a reference for fetal echocardiographers in the detection of some congenital cardiovascular abnormalities.     

An investigation of the conus medullaris and filum terminale variations in human fetuses

The morphologic structure of the conus medullaris and filum terminale was investigated by dissection in 123 human fetuses, obtained from Selçuk University, Faculty of Medicine and Maternity hospital of Konya between 1992–1995. In 78 fetuses, the conus medullaris and filum terminale had a normal morphologic aspect, whereas there was a slight depression or groove formation in the closure region of the caudal neuropore in 45 fetuses. In 15 fetuses, important malformations of the cranium and vertebral column were observed. The morphologic aspects of the conus medullaris in 30 fetuses were abnormal in shape and position, among them 24 fetuses had an abnormal filum terminale (grooved, depressed, thickened or duplicated) whereas it was normal in 6. Deficiency of closure of the caudal neuropore was considered to have a negative effect on the fetal development of the filum terminale.     

Observation of root variations in human coronary arteries

In dissection courses conducted from 1999 through to 2003, five specimens were found to have coronary arteries with variant roots and branches, as follows: in specimens 1-4, roots of the right coronary artery (RCA) and right conus branch arose independently from the right aortic sinus (RAS); in specimen 5, the RCA and left coronary artery (LCA) originated from the RAS. The LCA pierced the upper part of the muscular interventricular septum and appeared on the surface, then dividing into the anterior interventricular and the circumflex branches. In the present study, we considered that the right conus arteries in specimens 1-4 were the remnant blood capillaries around the aorta towards the RAS in the embryonic stage. In specimen 5, the vessel near the left aortic sinus was poorly developed as a small thin artery. Instead, the LCA was developed from the anterior and posterior interventricular septal branches.     

Radiographic analysis of the arteries of human lumbar lymph nodes

Twenty-seven cadavers (12 male, 15 female aged 28 to 94 years, average 75 years) were dissected to analyze the arterial supply of the lumbar lymph nodes with angiography and an image processor-analyzer. The lymph nodes on the left side of the abdominal aorta fused to form several elongated nodes. The lymph nodes on the right side remained separated. A few lymph nodes aggregated below the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. They received a few branches directly from the abdominal aorta or from the renal, gonadal and/or iliac arteries, which anastomosed with each other to form an arterial arc. This anastomosis gave small paired twigs to the parenchyma continuously. In the case of well developed lymph nodes dorsal to the inferior vena cava, a vessel from the lower abdominal aorta passed upward to supply them. The diameter of these vessels in the angiogram was 0.09–0.27 mm, measured with the image processor-analyzer. These results show that the lumbar lymph nodes do not receive a single artery through the hilus, but through several branches, whose anastomoses form a collateral system associated with the abdominal aorta. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The course and variations of the branches of the musculocutaneous nerve in human fetuses

The course and branches of the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) were dissected in 140 human fetal arms. The MCN entered the superior, middle, and inferior part of coracobrachialis in 43%, 37%, and 17% of arms, respectively, and the remaining 3% did not pierce coracobrachialis. The motor branches to biceps were classified as follows: Type 1 (83.6%): a single branch that bifurcated to supply the two heads of biceps; Type 2 (14.3%): two separate branches each innervating one head of biceps; Type 3 (2.1%): a single branch that bifurcated to supply each head of biceps plus an additional branch that innervated the distal part of biceps. The motor branches to brachialis were classified as follows: Type 1 (93.6%): a single branch to brachialis; Type 2 (6.4%): a single branch that bifurcated into two branches both supplying brachialis. Communications between the MCN and the median nerve (MN) were observed in 10% of specimens, of which three types (A, B, C) could be identified depending on their origin and union. In the most frequently observed type (B, 50% of cases) the communicating branch arose from the proximal part of the MCN and joined the MN in the middle or distal part of arm. The data presented here will be of use to surgeons, especially pediatric surgeons who undertake surgical procedures in the axilla and arm. Clin. Anat. 22:337–345, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.