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Anatomy

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Browsing Anatomy by Subject "Anatomy."

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    An investigation of the medial branches of the cervical and thoracic sympathetic chain.
    (2001) Pather, Nalini.; Satyapal, Kapil Sewsaran.; Partab, Pravesh.
    The number of peripheral segmental branches of the cervical and thoracic sympathetic chains are more variable and larger than assumed by textbooks and literature (Groen et al., 1987). This investigation aims to clarify and update the variable patterns of the cervical sympathetic chain, the incidence of fused thoracic ganglia and the contributions of the cervical and thoracic sympathetic chain to the cardiac plexus. The study involved the macro and micro-dissection of 89 cadaveric sides (foetal, 60 and adult, 29). The gross anatomy of the cervical sympathetic chain and variations is documented. This study confirms previous reports that the number of ganglia in the cervical region ranged from 2 (absent MCG) to four (double MCG) ganglia. A double MCG was found in 25.9%. This study reports the higher incidence of the normal/typical MCG (as per textbook definition) i.e. Type II MCG (46.6%) than the Type I MCG (27.6%) and Type III (32.8%). The number of thoracic ganglia in this study is 8-11. Fusion of ganglia was found to be more common in the lower thoracic chain than in the upper thoracic chain. This study reports the origin of cardiac rami from the thoracic sympathetic chain up to the interganglionic segment between T5 and T6 ganglia. The incidence if TCR5 was 60.4%. In 15/58 sides (25.9 %) TCR5 arose from the interganglionic segment of the chain, either above or below the ganglion. An accurate knowledge of the anatomy of the sympathetic nervous system and the adjacent structures is, inescapably a definite asset to the procedures used in interrupting the neural mechanism (Jamieson et al.) 1952). Successful sympathetic denervation of the heart, a field often beset with failure, is dependant on adequate morphological knowledge. It is hoped that this study using human foetuses as well as adult cadaveric specimens will draw the attention to important variations that are relevant to the surgeon. The intricate anatomical relations presented in this study attest the complex anatomy of the sympathetic nervous system.
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    Perceptions of academics and postgraduate students towards the use of plastinated specimens and their public exhibitions.
    (2020) Bailey, Denvon Nathal.; Pillay, Pamela.; De Gama, Brenda Zola.
    Background – The global scarcity of cadavers and prosected specimens for teaching, learning and research has led to plastinated specimens (plastinates) becoming a valuable tool in bridging this gap. Over the last decade, plastinates have been incorporated into the teaching and learning of iross anatomy within anatomy departments as a supplementary tool to cadaveric dissection. A paucity of information exists regarding the views of academics and postgraduate students on the use of plastinates for anatomy teaching and learning. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of academics and postgraduate students on the use of plastinates in anatomy education and public exhibitions. Methods – Qualitative and quantitative methods of data extraction were employed using a questionnaire on a purposively sampled group of anatomy academics and postgraduate students at the Discipline of Clinical Anatomy, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for data collection. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney test (p < 0.05 considered statistically significant) to determine significant differences between sub-groups. To assess the perception on the use of plastinates for education and exhibitions, the quantitative responses of participants were grouped and then categorized into three categories i.e. good (10-7), average (6-4), and bad (0-3). Qualitative data from the questionnaire responses were analysed by the content analysis method to reflect emanating themes. Results- Questionnaires were completed by 43 of 62 participants (response rate 69%) i.e. seven academics and 36 postgraduate students completed the questionnaire. Academics (57.1%) and postgraduate students (63.9%) had a good perception on plastgnate use for education. Most academics (85.7%) and postgraduate students (94.4%) made use of plastinates for anatomy education. Various features of plastinates were highlighted, such as their ease of use, durability and ability to view structures clearly in three-dimensions (3D), which aids in understanding for students. However, ethical concerns were highlighted by academics (57.2%) and postgraduate students (55.6%) on the use of plastinates in public exhibitions. Conclusion: Positive reactions of academics and postgraduate students were generally noted, plastinates were found to support anatomy teaching and learning. This reflects that plastinates may become vital for anatomy instruction in South Africa and their more inclusive use is recommended.