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Biomedical subjects

B Arensburg

Publications and source records attributed to B Arensburg.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Cervical posture and nasal breathing in infancy.

Survival of infants born with bilateral choanal atresia or pyriform aperture stenosis who breathe orally, as well as experimental data, challenge the virtually axiomatic theory of 'obligatory' nose breathing of the neonate. The anatomical parameters leading to the infant's airway patency and to airway obstruction were studied on midsagittal anatomical sections of fetal and adult necks as well as in head and neck radiographs of infants. The most important anatomical parameter found to facilitate the switch from nasal to oral ventilation in human infants is a cervical extension, creating a physiological lordosis of the neck that results in an opening of the veloglossal and veloepiglottic sphincters. This mechanism may explain the relationship between the sleeping posture of the infant and sudden infant death syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Age-related basement membrane thickening of the vocal cords in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) remains the leading cause of death in the Western world among infants between the ages of 1 month to 1 year. The diagnosis can only be established at autopsy, at which time no obvious or recognizable pathology is evident. A correlation between thickening of the basement membrane of the true vocal cords and the victim's age was observed in all 51 larynges examined, whereas no such finding was detected in 82 larynges of infants who died of other causes. Thus, the data support the authors' previous morphological results suggesting the use of basement membrane thickening as a marker of positive diagnosis of SIDS at autopsy. The possibility that an immune process may be associated with this syndrome merits further investigation and could prove to be of great importance.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Variables affecting dental fluctuating asymmetry in human isolates.

The aims of the present study are to 1) determine and describe levels of dental fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in a highly endogamous human group; 2) evaluate the effects of various FA measures on perceived FA levels and their interrelationships; 3) study the connections between dental variables (tooth size, class, position, type, location and dimension) and FA levels; and 4) estimate the interrelationships between dental FA measures. The study was carried out on 242 Bedouin boys aged 5 to 14 years. The results demonstrate that the main variables influencing dental FA levels within this population are tooth class (incisors, canine, premolars, molars) and position (mesial, distal) and that the interaction between the two is significant. When sample sizes are large enough and individual measures are needed for the statistical analysis, the use of a computational method based on absolute values is legitimate. Clear relationships between some FA dental traits are discerned through principal-components analysis.

Child↗
PubMed1993

The microscopic structure and function of the vascular retrodiscal pad of the human temporomandibular joint.

The highly vascular retrodiscal pad attaches the articular disc of the temporomandibular joint to osseous structures posterior to it. There is debate as to whether or not the pad includes erectile tissue. Histological examination of 11 retrodiscal pads revealed thick-walled muscular arteries, thin-walled veins and numerous vascular sinuses, which is different from the erectile tissue of the corpora cavernosa. Its histological features and position within the joint suggest that the retrodiscal pad may function differently from other human joints due to: (1) the large amount of distraction it undergoes relative to its size and (2) its location anterior to the ear.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Unusual pathological condition in the lower extremities of a skeleton from ancient Israel.

We report here an unusual pathology in a 1,500-year-old skeleton recovered from Bet Guvrin, Israel. The pathological changes in the lower extremities and the diagnostic difficulties are presented. We attribute this condition to Madura foot, found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions, although other diagnoses are possible and are noted. We discuss its appearance in the region in light of the historical context.

Calcaneus↗
PubMed1992

Anatomical relationships and superior reinforcement of the TMJ mandibular fossa.

Only a few cases of condylar penetration into the middle cranial fossa have been documented in the literature. This study attempts to provide an anatomical explanation for this rare phenomenon. Mandibular (glenoid) fossa position in relation to important endocranial and exocranial structures located in close proximity to the TMJ, and relative condyle-fossa size, were evaluated on a dry skull sample. Additional osseous relationships were observed on cadaver material using dissection and x-ray. The anatomic relationships of the mandibular fossa and superior structures that appear to buttress it are described. It is concluded that the temporal squama that lies superior to the mandibular fossa provides a powerful buffer, which prevents condylar endocranial penetration in cases of an appropriate traumatologic mechanism.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Speech and the Neanderthals.

The ability to communicate by speech was a crucial step in human evolution and there has been much controversy concerning the point at which it occurred. The recent discovery at Kebara of a well-preserved hyoid bone some 60,000 years old suggests that Neanderthal man had developed the anatomical structures necessary to articulate words. This in itself does not prove that such articulation occurred. But contributory evidence, such as endocranial casts indicates that the necessary brain differentiation had also developed. Further, what we know of the social organisation of Neanderthals suggests that some form of communication by speech was necessary.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Medicoritual trephinations in modern Israel.

Two recent cases of ritual trephinations that were revealed during regular autopsies are described. The osteologic findings are discussed in relation to hospital craniotomy and ancient trephination, and the forensic practitioner is offered a set of criteria to differentiate properly between trephination and craniotomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Vertebral artery tortuosity with concomitant erosion of the foramen of the transverse process of the axis. Possible clinical implications.

Thirty-six vertebral arteries were examined for the presence of tortuosity in their trajectory through the neck. Of these, 18 vessels (14 bilateral) showed various degrees of tortuosity of their proximal segment. Four arteries had marked kinking of the tortuous vessel at the foramina of the transverse process of the axis. These foramina presented with marked erosion of the underlying bone. Four other axes presented with moderate erosion of the F/Tp. The etiology and clinical significance of tortuosity of the vertebral artery, and erosion of the F/Tp of the axes, are discussed in light of the extreme range of rotation occurring at the C1-C2 segmental level.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Basement-membrane thickening of the vocal cords in sudden infant death syndrome.

Sudden infant death syndrome remains the leading cause of death in infants between the ages of 1 month and 1 year. Diagnosis at autopsy is usually reached by process of elimination, as no obvious cause of death is recognized. The larynges of 23 sudden infant death syndrome victims, as well as 6 infants and 3 fetuses who died of other known causes, were examined in this study. While thickening of the basement membrane of the vocal cords was apparent in all sudden infant death syndrome victims, no such finding was present in the larynges of infants and fetuses dying of other causes. Thus, it is suggested that basement-membrane thickening may serve as a diagnostic tool for identification of sudden infant death syndrome at autopsy.

Basement Membrane↗
PubMed1990

A reappraisal of the anatomical basis for speech in Middle Palaeolithic hominids.

The recovery of a fossil hominid skeleton with a complete hyoid bone from Mousterian deposits in Kebara Cave, Israel, provides new evidence pertaining to the evolution of speech. Previous studies of speech in the Middle Palaeolithic (most notably those on Neandertals) have focused on the basicranium as an indicator of speech capabilities. This work critiques the use of the basicranium and instead presents the anatomical relations of the hyoid and adjacent structures in living humans as a basis for understanding the form of the vocal tract. The size and morphology of the hyoid from Kebara and its relations to other anatomical components are almost identical to those in modern humans, suggesting that Middle Palaeolithic populations were anatomically capable of fully modern speech.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

The anterior buccal mandibular depression: physical and radiologic features.

The anterior buccal mandibular depression (ABMD), an anatomic variation not previously mentioned in the dental literature, is considered. Its physical and radiologic configuration is evaluated, and its significance in the differential diagnosis of radiolucent lesions in the anterior portion of the mandible is discussed. The general prevalence of ABMD was found to be 19.8%, with a significantly higher prevalence in children (p less than 0.001). In the majority of cases, the depression was radiologically detected. The radiopacity of the area was significantly dependent on depth of the depression (p less than 0.001). The radiographic image of the ABMD resembles, in many cases, the image of the less common anterior lingual salivary gland depression. The relatively high frequency of the ABMD indicates the importance of recognizing its radiologic features.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A Middle Palaeolithic human hyoid bone.

The origin of human language, and in particular the question of whether or not Neanderthal man was capable of language/speech, is of major interest to anthropologists but remains an area of great controversy. Despite palaeoneurological evidence to the contrary, many researchers hold to the view that Neanderthals were incapable of language/speech, basing their arguments largely on studies of laryngeal/basicranial morphology. Studies, however, have been hampered by the absence of unambiguous fossil evidence. We now report the discovery of a well-preserved human hyoid bone from Middle Palaeolithic layers of Kebara Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, dating from about 60,000 years BP. The bone is almost identical in size and shape to the hyoid of present-day populations, suggesting that there has been little or no change in the visceral skeleton (including the hyoid, middle ear ossicles, and inferentially the larynx) during the past 60,000 years of human evolution. We conclude that the morphological basis for human speech capability appears to have been fully developed during the Middle Palaeolithic.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1989

The anterior buccal mandibular depressions: ontogeny and phylogeny.

The frequency of an anterior buccal depression in the mandible (ABMD), or a mental fossa, is reported on 970 human mandibles of various groups and different ages, as well as in 38 mandibles of nonhuman primates. The ontogenetic and phylogenetic significance of the results relevant to development of a chin in Homo sapiens is discussed. The ABMD is also compared with the occurrence of a lingual mandibular depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Are seismic communication signals transmitted by bone conduction in the blind mole rat?

The anatomy of the middle ear of the blind mole rat, a subterranean rodent that uses seismic signals for long distance communication, is described qualitatively and quantitatively. The ossicular chain is of the parallel type with a lever arms ratio of 0.55 and an effective areal ratio of stapedial footplate to eardrum of 0.09. Assuming an ideal mechanical transform, the calculated fraction of acoustical energy theoretically transmitted to the cochlea, indicate low efficiency for airborne sounds. This is in accordance with the relatively high electrophysiological and behavioral threshold, shown previously. We suggest that a unique morphology of the middle ear and of the articulation between the lower jaw and the skull, as well as a peculiar 'jaw listening behavior' enable seismic vibrations to be transmitted to the inner ear mainly by bone conduction, thereby compensating for the limitation in receiving airborne signals.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Erosion of the foramen transversarium of the axis. Anatomical observations.

Six hundred foramina transversaria (FT) of the axis vertebrae of 4 population groups were examined for the presence of erosion of the lateral articular mass. Of these, 127 (21%) and 72 (12%) presented with moderate and marked erosion, respectively. Evidence is presented incriminating the tortuosity of the vertebral artery as well as congenital factors in the etiology of the erosion of the FT. Attention is drawn to the possible correlation between angulation of the transverse process of the axis and erosion of the FT.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis: first look at a complete inlet.

The renewed excavations at the Kebara Cave revealed a Neanderthal skeleton dated at about 50-55,000 years B.P. The pelvis of this individual is the most intact Neanderthal pelvis yet discovered, presenting for the first time a complete inlet. Although the superior pubic ramus is extremely long, as typically seen in the Neanderthals, the size of the pelvic inlet is comparable to that of modern Homo sapiens. The length of the superior pubic ramus is found to stem from a more externally rotated innominate bone and not, as generally assumed, from the larger pelvic inlet. It is suggested that the uniqueness of the Neanderthal pelvis may be attributable to locomotion and posture-related biomechanics rather than to obstetric requirements.

Female↗