Masters Degrees (Anatomy and Histology)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Anatomy and Histology) by Subject "Abnormalities, Human"

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    Congenital anomalies in the vertebral column associated with thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-11-08) Du Plessis, Anneli Merle; Greyling, Linda Magdalena; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Biomedical Sciences. Division Anatomy and Histology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : According to Byrd & Comiskey (2016), disrupted ossification during development results in abnormal skeletal development. A study conducted on congenital anomalies by Masnicová & Beňuš (2003), stipulated that most skeletal congenital defects are located in the vertebral column. The most common skeletal defects of the vertebral column are neural tube defects (NTD’s), spondylolysis and cranial-caudal border shifts (Masnicová & Beňuš 2003). In reviewed literature, case studies have reported various congenital defects that are simultaneously present within the vertebral column of an individual. There is, however, a lack of evidence to substantiate whether the mutually inclusive observations resulted by chance, or whether an association between the defects is present. The aim of this study was to determine whether associations exist among random congenital defects in the vertebral column. The objective of this study was to identify and determine the frequency of random congenital defects from a subset of defects in the vertebral column. A selection of skeletal remains were taken (n=35) from a subset in the Kirsten Skeletal Collection at Stellenbosch University. The subset comprised specimens from the population (N=±1100) with congenital defects in the vertebral column that has a reviewed prevalence of 0.5/1000 worldwide. This study hypothesised that there is an association between random congenital defects that results from border shifts or disrupted neural arch formation. The congenital defects considered in the study included: lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV), thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV), spondylolysis, NTD’s and sacro-coccygeal fusion. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the frequencies of defects in the selection. The descriptive analyses are illustrated in frequency distribution tables for each type of defect evaluated in the study. This study found that every specimen in the selection had TLTV and one or more additional random congenital defect in the vertebral column. Based on the finding, it can be claimed that an association exists between TLTV and other congenital defects of the vertebral column. TLTV were identified based on intermediary characteristics between the thoracic and lumbar regions present in the vertebra. This study concludes that when TLTV is present, it will be associated with one or more random defect in the vertebral column discussed in this study. The association between TLTV and other congenital defects provides an indirect association between all cases where various congenital defects are simultaneously present.