Cagatay Barut

The thickness of the ligamentum flavum in relation to age and gender.

Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum (LF) can reduce the diameter of the spinal canal posteriorly. Such stenosis may significantly compress the dural sac and nerve roots, resulting in symptoms, even without a bulging anulus fibrosus or herniated nucleus pulposus. We conducted an anatomical study to determine the influence of age and gender on the thickness of the LF at the lower lumbar levels using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The thickness of 1,280 ligaments was determined at the L4‐L5 and L5‐S1 levels from MRIs. We screened 320 patients (152 males [47.5%] and 168 females [52.5%]) between 21 and 82 years of age. There were no significant differences in LF thickness with respect to gender (P > 0.05). Age was not correlated with the thicknesses of the LF. The left LF at the L4‐L5 and L5‐S1 levels was significantly thicker than on the right side (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the LF thicknesses at L5‐S1 bilaterally were significantly greater than on the corresponding sides at L4‐L5 (P < 0.05). The LF is an important anatomical structure, which might cause low back or leg pain. Therefore, the thickness of the LF should be measured and evaluated carefully in the case of spinal stenosis. Clin. Anat. 23:79–83, 2010.

Anthropometric measurements of the external ear in a group of Turkish primary school students.

Many studies have defined human body parts and their proportions to each other morphometrically [1 3,6,7,10]. These studies are important because they enable accurate definitions for morphometric properties of different body parts in different human populations. In this context, both of the ears play a vital role in producing a natural and harmonious look and an aesthetically fine facial appearance [1,2,6]. They also are helpful in defining population standards, congenital malformations, and the ergonomic design of hearing aids [6,7,9,11,12]. This study aimed to establish morphometric properties for the ears, a determining feature of the human face, in a group of Turkish children.

Statistical Shape Analysis of Differences in the Shape of the Corpus Callosum Between Genders

Sexual dimorphic characteristics, which play an important role in human evolution studies and biological research, can be studied morphologically and metrically. Geometric morphometrics allows a better assessment of morphological characteristics. Statistical shape analysis has a long history in neuroanatomical and other research. The aim of this study was to identify shape differences of the corpus callosum between genders. Landmark coordinate data were collected from two‐dimensional magnetic resonance imaging scans of 93 homogeneously aged patients, 45 men and 48 women. These data were analyzed using Euclidean distance matrix analysis and thin plate spline analysis. The general shape variability of the corpus callosum of men was greater than that of women (men, 0.134; women, 0.097). We found no significant difference between sexes in the general shape of the corpus callosum, but we did find significant differences in the distances between some landmarks. Deformation of the corpus callosum between men to women was mainly detected in the posterior of the corpus callosum. These results serve as a reference for future studies on shape alterations of the corpus callosum associated with certain conditions. Anat Rec, 2007.

Influence of age and sex on lumbar vertebral morphometry determined using sagittal magnetic resonance imaging.

We evaluated age-related changes in the morphometric features of lumbar vertebrae in both sexes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Midsagittal MRI scans of 366 individuals (156 males, 210 females; 25-82 years old) were evaluated retrospectively. The anterior height (H(a)), central height (H(c)), posterior height (H(p)), and anteroposterior diameter (D) of the body of each lumbar vertebra were measured. These measurements were used to calculate three indices, namely, the anterior wedge index (H(a)/H(p)), the biconcavity index (H(c)/H(p)), and the compression index (H(p)/D). The values of each of the three indices for the upper lumbar vertebrae of females were higher than those of the same vertebrae in males. The values of the compression index for all lumbar vertebrae decreased with age in females, whereas in males the compression index of the L1-L4 vertebrae decreased with age. No significant changes were observed in the value of the anterior wedge index in either sex. The biconcavity indices of the L1 and L5 vertebrae decreased with age in males. These results may be useful for evaluating age-related morphological changes that occur in the lumbar vertebrae.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HAND AND FOOT PREFERENCES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relations between hand and foot preferences in male and female individuals (343 male, 290 female) aged between 18–42 years (22.11 ± 2.07). Of the right-handed men, 75.5% preferred the right foot, 7.1% the left foot, and 17.4% both feet. Of ambidextrous men, 44.0% preferred the right foot, 28.0% the left foot, and 28.0% both feet. Of left-handed men, 32.3% preferred the right foot, 56.9% the left foot, and 10.8% both feet. The differences between these percentages were found to be statistically significant. Of the right-handed women, 89.9% preferred the right foot, left foot 1.2%, both feet 8.9%, whereas 50.0% preferred the right foot, 12.5% the left foot, and 37.5% both feet in the ambidextrous women. In the left-handed women, 8.8% preferred the right foot, 79.4% the left foot, and 11.8% both feet. The differences between these percentages were found to be statistically significant. The results suggested that the cultural differences among the different study groups may be the reason for the inconsistencies with regard to hand and foot preferences. Moreover, the results may bring insight into the foot preference in relation to hand preference in the Turkish population.

Guidelines for standard photography in gross and clinical anatomy

Photography has a widespread usage in medicine and anatomy. In this review, authors focused on the usage of photography in gross and clinical anatomy. Photography in gross and clinical anatomy is not only essential for accurate documentation of morphological findings but also important in sharing knowledge and experience. Photographs of cadavers are supposed to demonstrate the required information clearly. Thus, photographs should be taken with certain techniques in order to obtain high quality and standardization. Camera, lens, lighting, background, and certain photographic techniques are among the factors to achieve precise images. A set of suggested guidelines for accomplishing these standards are given for anatomists. Anat Sci Educ.

Evaluation of Eyeball and Orbit in Relation to Gender and Age.

AbstractThe orbital aperture is the entrance to the orbit in which most important visual structures such as the eyeball and the optic nerve are found. It is vital not only for the visual system but also for the evaluation and recognition of the face. Eyeball volume is essential for diagnosing microphthalmos or buphthalmos in several eye disorders. Knowing the length of the optic nerve is necessary in selecting the right instruments for enucleation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate eyeball volume, orbital aperture, and optic nerve dimensions for a morphological description in a Turkish population sample according to gender and body side.Paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) scans of 198 individuals (83 females, 115 males) aged between 5 and 74 years were evaluated retrospectively. The dimensions of orbital aperture, axial length and volume of eyeball, and diameter and length of the intraorbital part of the optic nerve were measured. Computed tomography examinations were performed on an Activion 16 CT Scanner (Toshiba Medical Systems, 2008 Japan). The CT measurements were calculated by using OsiriX software on a personal computer. All parameters were evaluated according to gender and right/left sides. A statistically significant difference between genders was found with respect to axial length of eyeball, optic nerve diameter, dimensions of orbital aperture on both sides, and right optic nerve length. Furthermore, certain statistically significant side differences were also found. There were statistically significant correlations between age and the axial length of the eyeball, optic nerve diameter, and the transverse length of the orbital aperture on both sides for the whole study group.In this study we determined certain morphometric parameters of the orbit. These outcomes may be helpful in developing a database to determine normal orbit values for the Turkish population so that quantitative assessment of orbital disease and orbital deformities will be evaluated both for preoperative planning and for assessing postoperative outcomes.

Anthropometric aspects of hand morphology in relation to sex and to body mass in a Turkish population sample

The hand is not only one of the principal structures related to motor function but is also essential for tactile sensations. The genetic endowment of an individual plays an important role in the development and differentiation of the hands. Certain features of hands are known to be sexually dimorphic and body morphology may also affect hand morphology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthropometric aspects of the hand in terms of its overall morphology and shape in relation to sex. Three hundred and eighty-five healthy individuals (187 males and 198 females), aged 20-41 years, participated in the study. Hand length, hand width, third finger length and palmar length were measured using a digital caliper with a resolution of 0.01 mm. The shape index, digit index, and palmar length/width ratio were also calculated. The body height and weight of the participants were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Analysis of covariance was used to evaluate BMI and sex differentiation of continuous dependent variables (indices). BMI caused a significant difference between sexes with respect to the shape index, digit index, and palmar length/width ratio of the right and left hands. Also, a statistically significant difference between sexes was found with respect to the shape index, digit index, and palmar length/width ratio of the right and left hands. The hands of males are coarser than those of females and males tend to have a stronger grasping ability. Also, the hands of females are narrower than those of males. Thus it can be suggested that sexual dimorphism exists regarding hand morphology, which may be a consequence of differential prenatal exposure of males and females to testosterone and estrogen along with genetic endowment.

Evaluation of the Lateral Wall of the Nasal Cavity in Relation to Septal Deviation

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la relacion existente entre las variaciones de la pared lateral de la cavidad nasal y la desviacion septal. Se revisaron los senos paranasales en imagenes de TC de 115 individuos (65 mujeres, 50 varones) coronales y axiales y se evaluo en ellas la presencia de neumatizacion e hipertrofia de los conchas nasales. La neumatizacion de la concha fue clasificada como concha laminar bulosa (CLB), concha bulbosa bulosa (CBB), o concha extensa bulosa (ECB). Conchas nasales bulbosa y extensa y conchas hipertroficas eran bilaterales siendo el lado en que esta era mas grande como la concha dominante. Tambien se tuvo en consideracion la relacion entre estas variacio nes y la desviacion del tabique nasal. Ochenta y seis (74,8%) de los 115 sujetos tenian desviacion septal. De estos, 20 no se vieron afectados por el tamano de la concha nasal media (CNM) o concha nasal inferior (CNI). Treinta y cuatro de los casos tenia CNM dominante, 20 tenian CNI dominante, y 11 tenian tanto CNM dominante y CNI dominante, todos los cuales tenian desviacion septal hacia el lado opuesto. En un caso hubo desviacion septal hacia el lado en el que el CNM era dominante. Nuestros datos indican que la coexistencia de neumatizacion o hipertrofia de conchas nasales y la desviacion septal es mas comun en adultos en comparacion con los resultados de estudios similares realizados con una amplia gama de grupos etarios, incluidos los ninos. Asi, la presencia de desviacion septal, junto con una gran concha aumenta con la edad. Un estudio prospectivo, que incluira los bebes, aclarara la relacion entre concha nasal y desviacion septal.

Anatomic Variations of Sphenoid Sinus Pneumatization in a Sample of Turkish Population: MRI Study

Existen variaciones respecto a la anatomia morfometrica y el grado de neumatizacion del seno esfenoidal. En nuestro estudio, se examinaron las diferencias de neumatizacion del seno esfenoidal, especialmente para guiar al neurocirujano durante la cirugia transesfenoidal. Fueron analizadas las imagenes sagitales T1-spin de resonancia magnetica (RM) de 616 individuos adultos (406 mujeres y 210 hombres). De acuerdo con los datos obtenidos a partir de nuestro estudio, el tipo mas comun de seno esfenoidal fue el de silla turca (83%, n=511) para todo el grupo de estudio, 16,6% (n=102) corresponden al tipo presellar y 0,5% (n=3) al tipo conchal. Una deteccion preoperatoria detallada de las caracteristicas anatomicas del seno esfenoidal es esencial. Informacion exhaustiva obtenida de los estudios de la anatomia y el conocimiento de su variabilidad regional puede proporcionar un abordaje endoscopico transesfenoidal extenso, seguro y preciso, de la base de craneo.