The lumbar curve in man and the apes : with an account of the topographical anatomy of the chimpanzee, orang-utan, and gibbon / by D.J. Cunningham.

  • Cunningham, D. J. (Daniel John), 1850-1909.
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The lumbar curve in man and the apes : with an account of the topographical anatomy of the chimpanzee, orang-utan, and gibbon / by D.J. Cunningham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    these the limbs were of such a size that they could readily be introduced into the spinal canal through the intervertebral foramina, and the extremi- ties of the limbs were bent to the side at a right angle, in such a fashion that they could readily grasp the upper and lower borders of the vertebral body. It is indeed unfortunate, that in the articulation of skeletons of anthropological interest the custom of introducing leather, or cement, or other material to represent the cartilaginous discs, should be so prevalent. Index of theVertehral Bodies.—In comparing the results obtained by these measurements, and in striking an average for each race and group ex- amined, it is convenient to construct an index for the separate vertebrae, and also for the sum of the vertebral measurements in a given individual. In calculating such an index I have adopted the anterior vertical diameter of the vertebral body as the standard. The index for an individual vertebra can be determined as follows:— Posterior vertical diameter x 100. Anterior vertical diameter. Then the combined index, expressive of the condition of the group of vertebras in a particular individual, may be obtained thus:— Sum of posterior measurements x 100. Sum of the anterior measurements. The result arrived at by this latter calculation may be termed the lumho- vertehral index. From the above it must be clear that a vertebra with an index of 100 may be considered to be neutral; it is equally deep in front and behind, and can in no way contribute to the formation of a curve. A vertebra, on the other hand, with an index of 100 +, is moulded in a manner unfavour- able to the formation of a curve with the convexity looking forwards ; it is deeper behind than in front: whilst a vertebra with an index of 100 — has its body adapted to the lumbar curve; it is deeper in front than behind. The same holds good for the average of the indices of the five lower true vertebrfe, which is expressed by the term of lumbo-vertebral index.