A Glimpse Into the Process of Gaining Permission for the Educational Dissection of Human Cadavers in the Ottoman Empire

Dissection of the human body for educational purposes became officially permitted in the Ottoman Empire only after a long, difficult process. In the West, studies based on the findings of Galen had been taboo during a long period in which dissection of human bodies had been prohibited. Although the first dissection studies since ancient times began to appear in the Western literature in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the post-Galen taboo against dissection was broken only in the 16th century by the studies of Vesalius. However, in the Eastern World, it was only fairly recently that the idea of the "sanctity of the human body" could be challenged. In the medieval Islamic world, as during the Middle Ages in the West, prohibitions against the dissection of human cadavers continued for social and religious reasons, although the Koran does not specifically ban such dissection. This prohibition also continued through the Ottoman era, which began in the 14th century. The first efforts to end the prohibition on dissection in the Ottoman Empire were made at the beginning of the 19th century during the reign of Sultan Selim III but official permission for dissection was given only in 1841 during the reign of Sultan Abdulmecid. Educational dissections in the Ottoman Empire officially began at the Istanbul Medical School following the granting of this permission. This article will discuss the attempts to end the prohibition of dissection in Ottomans within the scope of the history of anatomical study in Turkey. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Relationships of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve to Bony Landmarks

Background The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) can be at risk during, for example, the insertion of pins in the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) during external fixation of the pelvis, total hip arthroplasty through a direct anterior approach, open surgery for impingement in the hip through an anterior approach, and periacetabular osteotomy. During surgery, the surgeon usually assumes the location of the LFCN by using the ASIS as a landmark. Questions/purposes We investigated (1) whether there is any relationship between the LFCN and the ASIS and (2) the anatomy of the LFCN at the lateral border of the psoas major. Methods Using 25 formalin-fixed cadavers, we determined the location of the LFCN emergence point as above, same level with, or below the iliac crest (IC). We measured the distances between the LFCN emergence point and the crossing of the IC and psoas major, ASIS, and pubic tubercle. We measured the distances between the ASIS and pubic tubercle (AB) and the ASIS and the point where the LFCN crossed the inguinal ligament (AC) and then calculated AC/AB. Results The LFCN was below the IC on 19 sides, at the same level on 13 sides, and above on 12 sides. The distances were -0.98 +/- A 5.57 cm to the IC, 12.39 +/- A 2.67 cm to the ASIS, and 17.76 +/- A 3.33 cm to the pubic tubercle. AB was 13.11 +/- A 1.08 cm, AC 2.95 +/- A 2.01 cm, and AC/AB 0.22 +/- A 0.16. Conclusions/Clinical Relevance The LFCN may emerge from the lateral border of the psoas major above or below the IC. The AC/AB ratio can help surgeons to find the LFCN in patients with different body types

Innervation pattern of the pronator teres muscle

Objectives: To determine the innervation patterns of the pronator teres; muscle (PTM), which is used as a donor in muscle transfer

Biomechanical assessment of suture techniques used for tendon repair

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess different tendon suture techniques from the perspectives of both tensile strength and early active mobilization. Methods: In this study, we implemented repairs on 40 flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons, acquired from fresh frozen cadavers. The tendons were divided into 5 groups of 8 tendons each. We applied the 2-strand modified Kessler suture technique in the first group, the 4-strand Strickland suture technique in the second group, the 4-strand modified Kessler (without epitenon suture) suture technique in the third group, and the 4-strand modified Kessler (with epitenon sutures) suture technique in the fourth group. The remaining 8 intact tendons were set aside as the control group. The strength of the different tendon suture techniques were measured using the Instron (R) device. Results: The average tolerance strength of the first group was determined as 39.89 +/- 9.65 Newtons (N), the average tolerance strength of the second group was 39.64 +/- 9.14 N, the average tolerance strength of the third group was 50.29 +/- 11.24 N, the average tolerance strength of the fourth group was 54.47 +/- 6.83 N, and the average tolerance strength of the control group was 119 +/- 17.59 N. The tensile strength of the fourth group was significantly higher (p0.05). Conclusion: According to our findings, the tensile strength of 4-strand sutures, with or without epitenon sutures, are significantly higher than the tensile strength of 2-strand sutures. All suture techniques applied had sufficient tensile strength to promote early mobilization