The Archives

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) and the evolution of human bipedalism
12.26.08 | Permalink | 5 Comments

Human bipedal locomotion is arguably the most defining adaptation in the narrative of human evolution. It has altered the way our bodies dissipate heat, the way we give birth, and even the way we use our hands – to some extent it has influenced the function/morphology of every element of our anatomy. Of course, when [...]
Calcium receptors and the natural history of lung development
12.13.08 | Permalink | Comment?

The Medicine
It doesn’t take a neonatologist to know how intimidating the multitude of potential issues are that come along with premature birth. Hypoglycemia, anemia, sepsis an intracranial hemorrhaging are a few of the complications pediatricians have to manage in the fight for life in the NICU. Thanks to a study published recently in the Journal [...]
Plantar fasciitis: Bleeding for Lucy’s mistake
12.11.08 | Permalink | 6 Comments

The Medicine
Plantar fasciitis is a quite common*, very painful foot problem caused by repeated tension on the plantar aponeurosis (or plantar fascia), a ligamentous structure that runs from the calcaneus (heel) to the bases of the proximal phalanges (toes), which results in inflammation. It is found most common in individuals who participate in high stress activities [...]
Cleidocranial dysostosis: Because, who really needs clavicles?
12.10.08 | Permalink | Comment?

What pathology jumps out at you in this X-Ray?
I’ll give you a moment.
…
…
…
Time is up!
If you guessed cleidocranial dysostosis (Really… it’s in the title…), then you’re right on the money!
How could you possibly know this? Well, take a look at the upper third of the x-ray, where the clavicles should be. Now, do me a [...]
Anatomy collection
11.11.08 | Permalink | Comment?

PBA Galleries of San Fransisco is auctioning the library of the late Gerald I. Sugarman MD – and what a library it is. While most of the texts are a bit pricy (Aphorismi secundum doctrinam Galeni is potentially selling for $30,000USD), it is worth a glance for any of you interested in the art of [...]
“The Archaeology of Human Bones” by Simon Mays
10.31.08 | Permalink | Comment?

The Archaeology of Human Bones is one of the now many, but at once numbered, textbooks available on the subdiscipline of bioarchaeology – the scientific study of human remains in the historical record. Though dated, this book remains a valuable resource for students of archaeology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Simon Mays, senior scientific [...]
DISH (Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis)
10.26.08 | Permalink | 2 Comments

I hope all of you are excited for the first installment of “The Pathology Profile”. I have received quite a few e-mails regarding It Gets Worse In The Middle Ages: Bone Disease And The Medieval Period, and have decided to make it a point to provide you with a steady stream of posts regarding interesting [...]
Frontal fusion
07.24.08 | Permalink | Comment?

This is the first installment of my primate evolution research ’series’. Because I understand that not everybody knows a great deal about primates, especially their evolution, and even more generally the vocabulary of evolutionary biologists, I will attempt to make this as digestible as I can (and hopefully interesting!).
The article I’m focusing on in this [...]