Papers by Roelof-Jan Oostra
European Journal of Sport Science, Jan 12, 2020
Rationale: Explore the MRI-appearance of the healthy distal radial physis and the distribution of... more Rationale: Explore the MRI-appearance of the healthy distal radial physis and the distribution of stress-related changes in physeal thickness in young gymnasts to aid in the understanding of the pathophysiological process of stress-related physeal injury. Methods: Symptomatic gymnasts with clinically suspected overuse injury of the distal radial physis and age and gendermatched asymptomatic gymnasts and healthy non-gymnasts underwent an MRI-scan of the wrist. A cartilage-specific sequence was used to obtain three-dimensional reconstructions of the distal radial physis. Heat maps and line charts of these reconstructions visualised distribution of physeal thickness per study group and were used to explore differences between study groups. Symptomatic gymnasts displaying the most profound physeal widening (n = 10) were analysed separately. Results: Twenty-seven symptomatic-(skeletal age 12.9 ± 1.5 years), 16 asymptomatic-(skeletal age 12.8 ± 1.9 years) and 23 non-gymnasts (skeletal age 13.6 ± 1.9 years) were included for analysis. Physes of healthy non-gymnasts had a thin centre and increased in thickness towards the borders. Gymnasts demonstrated an increase in thickness of the entire physeal surface. In symptomatic gymnasts increase in physeal thickness was most prominent at the volar side when compared to asymptomatic gymnasts and non-gymnasts. Conclusion: The healthy distal radial physis is characterised by a thin centre surrounded by thicker borders. Stress applied to the wrist during gymnastics causes an overall increase in physeal thickness. Profound thickness increase is present at the volar side of the physis mainly in symptomatic gymnasts. These results can help unravel the pathophysiological mechanism of stress-related physeal injury in gymnasts and aid early injury identification.
Journal of Anatomy, Sep 26, 2021
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, wh... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
American journal of medical genetics, Nov 2, 1998
ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic... more ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, founded by Gerardus Vrolik (1775-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), consists of more than 5,000 specimens of human and animal anatomy, embryology, pathology, and congenital anomalies. Recently, the collection of congenital anomalies, comprising 360 specimens, was recatalogued and redescribed according to contemporary morphogenetic views. The original descriptions, if preserved, were compared with the clinical, radiographical, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. In 120 specimens the following midline anomalies, primary field defects, and sequences were diagnosed: holoprosencephaly sequence; aprosencephaly/atelencephaly; cleft lip; Pierre Robin sequence; omphalocele; diaphragmatic hernia; ectopic heart; bladder exstrophy; cloacal exstrophy; caudal dysgenesis; prune belly sequence; sirenomelia; fetal akinesia sequence; and disruption sequences. Polytopic field defects and associations were diagnosed in 25 specimens. We discuss the opinions of Gerardus and Willem Vrolik, who tried to find reasonable explanations for the dysmorphogenetic entities they investigated, rather than accepting the traditional superstitions.
American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2005
The Museum Vrolik collection of anatomical specimens in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, comprises ove... more The Museum Vrolik collection of anatomical specimens in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, comprises over 5,000 specimens of human and animal anatomy, embryology, pathology, and congenital anomalies. Recently, we rediagnosed a subset of the collection comprising dried human trunk skeletons and cranial base preparations presenting with homeotic transformations (vertebral phenotypic shifts) and numerical vertebral anomalies. We identified 11 trunk skeletons with either anterior or posterior homeotic transformations (AHT or PHT), 5 trunk skeletons with either less or more than the normal number of vertebrae, and well over a hundred cranial base preparations with either AHT (atlas-assimilation) or PHT (occipital vertebra). We found that, although homeotic transformations and numerical anomalies are distinct conditions, both can be described in terms of mismatch between homeotic patterning and morphological segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm. Therefore these two processes are perhaps not as tightly linked as they may seem on the basis of recent molecular studies. In homeotic transformations there is a constant mismatch between homeotic patterning and morphological segmentation throughout the affected region of the vertebral column. In numerical anomalies there is a variable mismatch between homeotic patterning and morphological segmentation, either because of stretching or squeezing of the homeotic pattern or because of oligo-or polysegmentation of the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). Homeotic transformations of the axial skeleton have an incidence of about 1%-5%, apart from their occurrence in malformation syndromes. Of the various etiological possibilities, explaining their frequent but mostly sporadic occurrence, maternal hyperthermia seems an attractive candidate.
Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Nov 29, 2018
The purpose of this study was to describe the normal 3D orientation and shape of the subtalar cal... more The purpose of this study was to describe the normal 3D orientation and shape of the subtalar calcaneal posterior facet. This is not adequately described in current literature. In a supine position both feet of 20 healthy subjects were imaged in a simulated weight-bearing CT. A cylinder and plane were fitted to the posterior facet of the surface model. The orientation of both shapes was expressed by two angles in (1) the CT-based coordinate system with the axis of the foot aligned with the sagittal axis and (2) a coordinate system based on the geometric principal axes of the subject's calcaneus. The subtalar vertical angle was determined in the intersection in three different coronal planes of the cylinder. The cylinder's axis oriented from supero-postero-laterally to infero-anteromedially. The plane's normal directed supero-antero-medially in the CT-based coordinate system, and supero-antero-laterally in the other coordinate system. The subtalar vertical angle was significantly different (p < 0.001) between the three defined coronal planes and increased from anterior to posterior. The mean diameter of the fitted cylinder was 42.0 AE 7.7 mm and the root mean square error was 0.5 AE 0.1 mm. The posterior facet can be modelled as a segment of a cylinder with a supero-postero-lateral to infero-antero-medial orientation. The morphometry of the posterior facet in a healthy population serves as a reference in identifying abnormal subtalar joint morphology. More generally this study shows the need to include the full 3D morphology in assessing the orientation of the subtalar posterior facet.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Dec 2, 2022
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2018
The origin of the cardiovascular system of vertebrates is inferred from comparisons of basal chor... more The origin of the cardiovascular system of vertebrates is inferred from comparisons of basal chordates but must also encompass bewildering discrepancies. Basal chordates like lancelets (cephalochordates) have a vascular pattern similar to that of a vertebrate embryo, but without a recognizable heart or myocardium. Instead, the ‘venous’ part of their circulation contains contractile vessels, located upstream and downstream of the liver. Tunicates (urochordates) have a tubular heart containing cardiomyocytes and enclosed by a pericardium. Their circulation is open and the dominant pacemaker activity can be at either end of the heart tube, causing blood flow to reverse periodically. Recent molecular investigations have proved that urochordates rather than cephalochordates are the closest living relatives of vertebrates. This implies that the cardiovascular peculiarities of lancelets may be primitive ancestral qualities and that the original building plan of the vertebrate circulation featured a post-hepatic as well as a pre-hepatic cardiac pump.
American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2006
A hitherto unknown combination of multiple bifid ribs, as seen in Gorlin syndrome (GS), interpedi... more A hitherto unknown combination of multiple bifid ribs, as seen in Gorlin syndrome (GS), interpedicular fusion and apparent dyssegmentation of vertebral laminae at various upper thoracic levels was found in the skeleton of a newborn infant. This specific combination of anomalies is also seen in the mouse open brain (opb) mutant. Since the genes involved in GS (Patched2) and opb (rab23) both play an essential role in the hedgehog signaling pathway, it is likely that the cause of the anomalies presented here is to be sought in impaired functioning of this pathway.
American journal of medical genetics, May 1, 1998
ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic... more ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, founded by Gerardus Vrolik (1775-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), consists of more than 5,000 specimens of human and animal anatomy, embryology, pathology, and congenital anomalies. Recently, the collection of congenital anomalies, comprising 360 specimens, was recatalogued and redescribed according to contemporary morphogenetic views. The original descriptions, if preserved, were compared with the clinical, radiographical, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. In 120 specimens the following midline anomalies, primary field defects, and sequences were diagnosed: holoprosencephaly sequence; aprosencephaly/atelencephaly; cleft lip; Pierre Robin sequence; omphalocele; diaphragmatic hernia; ectopic heart; bladder exstrophy; cloacal exstrophy; caudal dysgenesis; prune belly sequence; sirenomelia; fetal akinesia sequence; and disruption sequences. Polytopic field defects and associations were diagnosed in 25 specimens. We discuss the opinions of Gerardus and Willem Vrolik, who tried to find reasonable explanations for the dysmorphogenetic entities they investigated, rather than accepting the traditional superstitions.
American journal of medical genetics, Nov 2, 1998
ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic... more ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, founded by Gerardus Vrolik (1775-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), consists of more than 5,000 specimens of human and animal anatomy, embryology, pathology, and congenital anomalies. Recently, the collection of congenital anomalies, comprising 360 specimens, was recatalogued and redescribed according to contemporary morphogenetic views. The original descriptions, if preserved, were compared with the clinical, radiographical, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. In 120 specimens the following midline anomalies, primary field defects, and sequences were diagnosed: holoprosencephaly sequence; aprosencephaly/atelencephaly; cleft lip; Pierre Robin sequence; omphalocele; diaphragmatic hernia; ectopic heart; bladder exstrophy; cloacal exstrophy; caudal dysgenesis; prune belly sequence; sirenomelia; fetal akinesia sequence; and disruption sequences. Polytopic field defects and associations were diagnosed in 25 specimens. We discuss the opinions of Gerardus and Willem Vrolik, who tried to find reasonable explanations for the dysmorphogenetic entities they investigated, rather than accepting the traditional superstitions.
Journal of Audiovisual Media in Medicine, 1999
The golden age of descriptive teratology (congenital anomalies) was between 1750 and 1850. During... more The golden age of descriptive teratology (congenital anomalies) was between 1750 and 1850. During that period, the study of human congenital malformations, especially those dramatic examples designated as &#39;monsters&#39;, attracted special attention. One of the finest collections in this field was Museum Vrolikianum, the collection of father and son, Gerardus (1775-1859) and Willem Vrolik (1801-1863). Willem, a specialist in teratology, described many of these specimens in his Handbook of Pathological Anatomy (1844) and his teratology atlas Tabulae ad illustrandam embryogenesin hominis et mammaliam tam naturalem quam abnormem (1849). This collection is still an integral part of the Museum Vrolik in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. From 1991 to 1994, the collection of congenital anomalies was re-catalogued and re-described according to contemporary syndromological views. We diagnosed rare syndromes with multiple congenital anomalies, rare skeletal dysplasias, closure defects of the neural tube and conjoined and acardiac twins. We came to the conclusion that some anomalies of the conditions diagnosed have been reported only a few times. Certain cases demonstrate relationships between different malformations, and provide critical &#39;missing links&#39; in the teratological series. For the diagnosis of the clinical syndromes in some of the specimens magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), spiral CT and radiographical techniques were of crucial importance and are discussed in this paper.
Clinical Dysmorphology, Jul 1, 2007
At her own request an 18-year-old woman with Williams– Beuren Syndrome (WS) was laparoscopically ... more At her own request an 18-year-old woman with Williams– Beuren Syndrome (WS) was laparoscopically sterilized. At laparoscopy, the proximal part of the right fallopian tube, known as the isthmus, was absent. The right ampulla appeared to end blindly in the peritoneal fold of the broad ligament. The right fimbriae and ovary, the left fallopian tube, the left ovary, and the uterus did not demonstrate any abnormalities (Fig. 1). No evidence of adhesions, endometriosis, or previous pelvic infection was noted. At the age of 9 months the diagnosis of WS had been made on the basis of supravalvular aortic stenosis and the characteristic facial appearance of WS. The patient developed the typical cognitive WS phenotype with mild mental retardation with relatively good verbal performance.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, Oct 28, 2021
Introduction We present a case of dual drainage of the right upper lobe of the lung into the left... more Introduction We present a case of dual drainage of the right upper lobe of the lung into the left atrium and via partial anomalous venous pulmonary return (PAPVR) into a persistent left superior vena cava (SVC). Discussion It is only in the minority of PAPVR cases where the anomalous pulmonary veins cross the midline. We provide a review of current literature on this topic and an explanatory embryological model. Knowledge of embryonic development and possible anatomic variations, including the concept of dual venous drainage of the lung, leads to better interpretation of imaging, with more accurate description of the morphology at hand. High-resolution multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) helps to delineate the exact vascular anatomy. This will enhance a better understanding of and anticipation on the patient's disease status, with more accurate planning of intervention, and possibly less complications.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Jul 31, 2019
Until well in the 19th century, the Aristotelian concept of the scala naturae (ladder of nature) ... more Until well in the 19th century, the Aristotelian concept of the scala naturae (ladder of nature) was the most common biological theory among Western scientists. It dictated that only humans possessed a rational soul that provided the ability to reason and reflect. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592) was the first philosopher influential enough to lastingly posit that animals are cognitive creatures. His view stirred a fierce controversy, with René Descartes (1596-1650) leading among his many adversaries. Only after it became accepted that animals and humans alike have cognitive abilities, did the research on the influence of conscious awareness and intention on the behavior of an animal become possible in the 20th century. We found the anatomist Andreas Vesalius (1515-1564) to have already rejected the Aristotelian view on the lack of the rational soul in animals in his 1543 opus magnum De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem. His observation "that there is a difference in size according to the amount of reason that they seem to possess: man's brain is the largest, followed by the ape's, the dog's, and so on, corresponding to the amount of rational force that we deduce each animal to have" resonated some 330 years later when Darwin concluded that "the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind." We conclude that Vesalius was instrumental in breaking with two millenniums of dominance of the concept of lack of animal cognition.
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Jul 1, 2016
Files of the Dutch bureau of missing persons at the North Sea (BVPN) were investigated to analyse... more Files of the Dutch bureau of missing persons at the North Sea (BVPN) were investigated to analyse the process that led to identification of human bodies recovered from the North Sea between 1980 and 2013. Of the 94 cases that were analysed 41.5% was identified by the family, 23.4% by the use of DNA and 17% by the use of the dental status. The linking pin for the identification was the place where the body was found (14.9%), the general appearance (12.8%), jewellery (11.6%) and media attention (9.6%). In only a few cases the DNA or fingerprint database was used for identification. When a person is not reported missing the identification is problematic because of the lack of antemortem data. National and international databases of people who have gone missing, can help solve this problem.
Skeletal Radiology, Sep 14, 2012
To identify factors that influence the quality of postmortem magnetic resonance (MR) images of mu... more To identify factors that influence the quality of postmortem magnetic resonance (MR) images of musculoskeletal (MSK) structures as described in the literature, and to evaluate the extent to which these MR images are affected. Four useful studies were retrieved from a PubMed and EMBASE search, covering the literature up to 1 March 2012. Three additional studies were included after a manual search from reference lists. Four human studies and three animal studies are considered in this review. Postmortem MRI quality can be affected by storage temperature, repeated freezing and thawing and fixation. Provided there was an adequate, but above-freezing storage temperature, postmortem changes in fresh cadavers did not appear to affect the MR image quality of MSK structures up to 14 days after death. Image contrast, signal intensities, and relaxation times are temperature-dependent, regardless of whether the specimen was fresh or postmortem for up to 7 days. Bad image quality can occur owing to accelerated autolysis. Freezing and thawing did not affect image quality, unless repeated too often, or whenever a heating pad was used to speed up the thawing process. Conventional formalin-based fixation leads to swelling of soft tissue and fluid accumulation in joints, and therefore to deteriorated images, with image quality just sufficient to visualize gross anatomy. Various factors were identified that affect postmortem MR image quality of MSK structures. Postmortem MR image quality was good, except for images of the fixated specimen. Freezing is the preferred method of conservation for specimens that are to be subjected to postmortem MRI.
American journal of medical genetics, Nov 2, 1998
ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic... more ABSTRACT The Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, founded by Gerardus Vrolik (1775-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), consists of more than 5,000 specimens of human and animal anatomy, embryology, pathology, and congenital anomalies. Recently, the collection of congenital anomalies, comprising 360 specimens, was recatalogued and redescribed according to contemporary morphogenetic views. The original descriptions, if preserved, were compared with the clinical, radiographical, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. In 120 specimens the following midline anomalies, primary field defects, and sequences were diagnosed: holoprosencephaly sequence; aprosencephaly/atelencephaly; cleft lip; Pierre Robin sequence; omphalocele; diaphragmatic hernia; ectopic heart; bladder exstrophy; cloacal exstrophy; caudal dysgenesis; prune belly sequence; sirenomelia; fetal akinesia sequence; and disruption sequences. Polytopic field defects and associations were diagnosed in 25 specimens. We discuss the opinions of Gerardus and Willem Vrolik, who tried to find reasonable explanations for the dysmorphogenetic entities they investigated, rather than accepting the traditional superstitions.
American journal of medical genetics, May 1, 1998
The collection of malformed (&quot;teratological&quot;) specimens of man and other mammal... more The collection of malformed (&quot;teratological&quot;) specimens of man and other mammals of Gerardus Vrolik (1775-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), dating from the beginning of the 19th century, continues to function as a central part of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology in the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam. Recently, many specimens in the collection were reexamined, using radiographic, CT scan, and MRI methods. In order to provide background information concerning Dutch teratological research and anatomical cabinets, some aspects of the history of Dutch morphology during the 17th-19th centuries are briefly described in this paper. Special attention is paid to the scientific work and cabinet of Frederik Ruijsch (1638-1731), who sold this cabinet to Czar Peter the Great; Bernard Siegfried Albinus (1697-1770); Wouter van Doeveren (1733-1783), Andreas Bonn (1738-1818), and Sebald Justinus Brugmans (1763-1819), who sold or donated parts of their collections of malformed specimens to Leiden University; Petrus Camper (1722-1789) and Jan Bleuland (1756-1838), whose collections are still in the Department of Anatomy at Groningen University and the Departments of Anatomy and Pathology of Utrecht University; and Gerard and Willem Vrolik.
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Papers by Roelof-Jan Oostra