Vertebral column deformity in six species of wild fish at the Coromandel coast,Bay of Bengal India

This study reports radiological deformities in the vertebral column of six fishes viz,Scomberomorus commerson,Chanos chanos,Sillago sihama,Pampus chinensis,Rastrelliger kanagurta and Netuma thalassina that were collected from the Coromandel coast,Bay of Bengal.Four main different types of vertebral column deformities were found:(i)whole body kypho-lordo-kyphosis(Sillago sihama,Rastrelliger kanagurta,Netuma thalassina);(ii)tail region kypho-lordosis(Scomberomorus commerson);(iii)tail region lordo-kyphosis(Chanos chanos);(iv)platyspondyly(Pampus chinensis).Seven types of vertebra body deformities,describing the pathology of single vertebrae,were present;reduced intervertebral space,compression,fusion,compresion&fusion,fusion center,dorsal wedge-shaped and compressed&dorsal wed-shaped.The present documentation of deformities in six different species that are also very different with regard to habitat,diet and swimming activity may suggest that fish deformities are widespread in the study area.

晚白垩世真兽类Zalamdalestes揭示哺乳动物独特的枢椎及其复杂的进化过程

The typical mammalian neck consisting of seven cervical vertebrae(C1–C7)was established by the Late Permian in the cynodont forerunners of modern mammals.This structure is precisely adapted to facilitate movements of the head during feeding,locomotion,predator evasion,and social interactions.Eutheria,the clade including crown placentals,has a fossil record extending back more than 125 million years revealing significant morphological diversification in the Mesozoic.Yet very little is known concerning the early evolution of eutherian cervical morphology and its functional adaptations.A specimen of Zalambdalestes lechei from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia boasts exceptional preservation of an almost complete series of cervical vertebrae(C2–C7)revealing a highly modified axis(C2).The significance of this cervical morphology is explored utilizing an integrated approach combining comparative anatomical examination across mammals,muscle reconstruction,geometric morphometrics and virtual range of motion analysis.We compared the shape of the axis in Zalambdalestes to a dataset of 88 mammalian species(monotremes,marsupials,and placentals)using three-dimensional landmark analysis.The results indicate that the unique axis morphology of Zalambdalestes has no close analog among living mammals.Virtual range of motion analysis of the neck strongly implies Zalambdalestes was capable of exerting very forceful head movements and had a high degree of ventral flexion for an animal its size.These findings reveal unexpected complexity in the early evolution of the eutherian cervical morphology and suggest a feeding behavior similar to insectivores specialized in vermivory and defensive behaviors in Zalambdalestes akin to modern spiniferous mammals.

Navigation techniques assisted kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic spinal compression fracture

Percutaneous kyphon balloon kyphoplasty has achieved encouraging results in the treatment ofosteoporotic compression fractures, both for correcting spinal deformities and relieving pain. Although kyphoplasty is a small invasion, the surgery itself has some defects such as more X-ray fluoroscopy time during the operation and accumulation of radiation dose causing harm to patients and operators, and the puncture is hard to achieve in a highly precise location.