Arcuate foramen: "Anatomical variation shape or adaptation legacy?"

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_CC1BE6B6499C
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Arcuate foramen: "Anatomical variation shape or adaptation legacy?"
Journal
Surgical and radiologic anatomy
Author(s)
Cossu G., Terrier L.M., Destrieux C., Velut S., François P., Zemmoura I., Amelot A.
ISSN
1279-8517 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0930-1038
Publication state
Published
Issued date
05/2019
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
41
Number
5
Pages
583-588
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
The groove of the vertebral artery on the posterior arch of the atlas (sulcus arteriae vertebralis) may become a complete or partial osseous foramen: the arcuate foramen. The presence of a complete or partial arcuate foramen is a rare anatomical variant described in a minority of patients and it seems to be associated with vertigo, vertebro-basilar insufficiency, posterior circulation strokes, and musculoskeletal pain. As the number and morphology of cervical vertebrae is highly preserved, we questioned about its significance from an evolutionary point of view. We thus investigated through an extensive literature review if the arcuate foramen is a pure anatomical variation shape or if it might represent an adaptation legacy.
We observed five atlas of an extinct species, the Late Pleistocene Mammoths (M. primigenius), and we compared them with five atlas of a closely related existent species, the African elephant (L. africana).
All the mammoths' atlas had an arcuate foramen through which the vertebral artery passed before turning anteriorly and becoming intradural. This foramen was not present in elephants' atlas, where only a groove was observed, such as in the majority of patients.
We would like to raise the hypothesis that this peculiar morphology of mammoths' atlas might have contributed, in association with other factors, to their precocious extinction and that the arcuate foramen might represent a disadvantage in the evolutionary process, with a low prevalence in humans being the result of a natural selection.
Keywords
Anatomic Variation, Animals, Biological Evolution, Cervical Atlas/anatomy & histology, Elephants/anatomy & histology, Mammoths/anatomy & histology, Vertebral Artery/anatomy & histology, Arcuate foramen, Atlas, Cervical vertebra, Elephant, Evolution, Extinction, Groove, Mammoth, Vertebral artery
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
18/02/2019 17:06
Last modification date
27/03/2020 6:26
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