Development this abbreviated, important sectionprecedsdiscussion of adult anatomy. A more complete discussion is found in the dedicated section of neurovascular embryology. The basicarrangementof the spinal system consists of ametameric grid of trasversely oriented segmental vessels, connected by various longitudinal channels. This simple bit of knowledge goes a long way in understanding spinal anatomy. Millions of years of speciation have taken place upon a basic building block of the organism the metameric segment. Just like the fly and the worm, the human body consists of metameric segments, with ecto-, meso-, and endodermal elements. Each vertebral body, its ribs, muscle, nerves, and dermatome, correspond to one level or segment. It is perhaps easiest to appreciate this concept at the thoracic level, where each rib, vertebral body, and other elements constitute the prototyical segment. In the early human embryo, the neural tube is first supplied by simple diffusion. When its limits are reached (200 micrometers perhaps), a primitive vascular system consisting of paired dorsal and ventral aortae (longitudinal vessels) and transversely oriented segmental arteries come into play to vascularize the developing tissue of the embryo. As the tissue of spinal cord continues to enlarge, new longitudinal connections form between the transverse segmental arteries, … Continue reading →

SHOOTING AT BUTLER COUNTY SCHOOLSchool shooting victim apologizes to shooter, says he's still a friend | 1:50 Madison High School shooting victim Cooper Caffrey speaks to his shooter, telling him that he wished he would've helped him sooner and that he is still his friend. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran 1 of 10 James "Austin" Hancock entered guilty please to four counts of attempted murder in connection with the Madison School shootings in Butler Co. Juvenile Court. The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy 2 of 10 Hancock is accused of shooting two teens in the cafeteria of Madison Jr./Sr. High School on Monday and faces two counts of attempted murder and other felony charges. The Enquirer/Cara Owsley 3 of 10 Our number 1 priority is to make our students feel comfortable and safe," says the superintendent of the Butler County school district where Monday's shooting occurred. Students return to school tomorrow. The Enquirer/Cara Owsley 4 of 10 A 14-year-old male student is accused of shooting two other male teen students in the cafeteria of a Butler County school about 11:15 a.m. Monday. Provided 5 of 10 A sophomore who said he was a friend of the alleged shooter in a Butler County High School said … Continue reading →

A new computer program is helpingsurgeons viewtheir patients medical scans in three dimensions, enabling better planning for surgeries on people with unusual anatomy. The program can transform a series of two-dimensionalCT or MRI scans into a 3-D image that surgeons can rotate, examine, cut and reassemble from any angle, helping them anticipate exactly what theyll see at every stage of surgery. For a recent story, cardiothoracic surgeon Katsuhide Maeda, MD, who led the first procedure using the technologyat Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford, told me why it was helpful to view patient Gina Milners cardiothoracic anatomy in three dimensions before her heart valve replacement surgery: For patients with very complex anatomy and a lot of variation from the normal cardiac structure, 3-D technologies are really helpful, said Maeda Milner, 46, was born with a heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot that was repaired in childhood, placing her in the group of patients for whom standard 2-D imaging may not give surgeons the information they want. It can sometimes be very hard to understand how to put a path through the heart, Maeda said. Milner had been referred to the hospitals Adult Congenital Heart Program when her physicians determined that she … Continue reading →