The piriform aperture of 182 skulls of black and white males in the United States was measured and compared with soft tissue readings taken previously. Statistical analysis indicated that nose width prediction formulas currently utilized in facial reconstruction required modification. Two revised formulas are proposed to improve accuracy of reconstructions: an addition prediction formula for ease of use and a multiplication prediction formula for more precise results on those skulls outside of the mean range.

Investigations of the structure and function of the flexor carpi radialis muscle (FCR) in the cat have led to the hypothesis that the compartmentalized (nonuniform) distribution of fiber types within the muscle relate to the complex motor skills of the cat. To test this hypothesis a study was undertaken to compare the FCR in four mammalian species of similar body size but with different forelimb motor tasks. The species chosen were: dog, opossum, armadillo, and cat. Comparisons were made among species with regard to general muscle morphology, fiber types and sizes, fiber proportions, and fiber distributions. The FCR of all species was morphologically similar and contained three muscle fiber types (SO, FOG, and FG). The mean area of muscle fibers was largest in opossum, while the FCR fibers of dogs were smallest. The percentage of SO fibers in the dog FCR was greater than in the other species studied. The opossum FCR also contained a high percentage of SO fibers. The armadillo FCR consisted of a high percentage of FG fibers. In the cat FCR the percentages of all three fiber types were similar. For each species, individual fiber proportions were in agreement with the results for fiber percentages. Compartmentalized distribution of fiber types existed in each species with the dog having the most compartmentalized fiber type distribution and the cat the least compartmentalized distribution. Therefore it seems that the compartmentalized organization of the FCR is not related to any specialized motor task, but may be a generalized pattern associated with motor patterns shared among all species studied.

Three inferential morphometric methods, Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA), Bookstein's edge-matching method (EMM), and the Procrustes method, were applied to facial landmark data. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted with three sample sizes, ranging from n = 10 to 50, to assess type I error rates and the power of the tests to detect group differences for two- and three-dimensional representations of forms. Type I error rates for EMM were at or below nominal levels in both two and three dimensions. Procrustes in 2D and EDMA in 2D and 3D produced inflated type I error rates in all conditions, but approached acceptable levels with moderate cell sizes. Procrustes maintained error rates below the nominal levels in 2D. The power of EMM was high compared with the other methods in both 2D and 3D, but, conflicting EMM decisions were provided depending on which pair (2D) or triad (3D) of landmarks were selected as reference points. EDMA and Procrustes were more powerful in 2D data than for 3D data. Interpretation of these results must take into account that the data used in this simulation were selected because they represent real data that might have been collected during a study or experiment. These data had characteristics which violated assumptions central to the methods here with unequal variances about landmarks, correlated errors, and correlated landmark locations; therefore these results may not generalize to all conditions, such as cases with no violations of assumptions. This simulation demonstrates, however, limitations of each procedure that should be considered when making inferences about shape comparisons.

No abstract

Medical illustrationis a field of visual communication with a long history. Leonardo DaVinci, inventor, scientist, and illustrator, is perhaps the best known pioneer of medical art, but many other individuals, such as the famous anatomist Vesalius, also contributed to the development of the profession.Understandably, many factors have impacted the field throughout its growth, but the primary goal of a medical artist-to visually explain information about the health sciences-has remained unchanged.Other goals such as marketing and advertising of products are subsidiary to this central objective of presenting educational imagery to health science professionals and patients alike.