Substantial decrease in SARS-CoV-2 RNA after fixation of cadavers intended for anatomical dissection.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a problem arose with classic body donation programmes for obtaining cadavers for anatomical dissections, science and research. The question has emerged whether bodies of individuals who died of COVID-19 or were infected by SARS-CoV-2 could be admitted to Departments of Anatomy. To determine the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to employees or students, the presence and stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cadavers after fixation agents' application and subsequent post-fixation baths over time were examined. The presence of viral RNA in swabs from selected tissues was assessed by the standardized routine RNA isolation protocol and subsequent real-time PCR analysis. To support the results obtained from the tissue swabs, samples of RNA were exposed in vitro to short and long-term exposure to the components of the injection and fixation solutions used for the bodies' conservation. Substantial removal of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was observed in post-mortem tissue following perfusion with 3.5% phenol, 2.2% formaldehyde, 11.8% glycerol and 55% ethanol, and subsequent post-fixation in an ethanol bath. In vitro experiments showed significant effects of formaldehyde on SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while phenol and ethanol showed only negligible effects. We conclude that cadavers subjected to fixation protocols as described here should not pose a considerable risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection while being handled by students and staff and are, therefore, suitable for routine anatomical dissections and teaching.

A case of congenital multiple epiphyseal dysplasia from the Late Migration Period graveyard in Drnholec (Czech Republic).

OBJECTIVE: To contribute to differential diagnosis of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) in archeological and clinical contexts. MATERIALS: A skeleton of a 30- to 45-year-old male (grave no. 806) from the Late Migration Period graveyard in Drnholec-Pod sýpkou (Czech Republic), radio-carbon dated to AD 492-530. METHODS: Morphological and metric analyses. RESULTS: Significant pathological changes were noted on ossa coxae and proximal ends of the femora, which appear similar to changes associated with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. X-ray examination made it possible to rule out pseudoachondroplasia, rickets and metabolic bone diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The finding was evaluated as a probable case of congenital multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. SIGNIFICANCE: This case will contribute to the construction of estimates of the occurrence of this disease in historical populations and can be instructive for diagnostics in current medical practice. LIMITATIONS: The final diagnosis is limited by the lack of genetic analysis. SUGGESTION FOR THE FUTURE RESEARCH: Further clarification leading to diagnosis will benefit from genetic analysis and evaluation of skeletal remains throughout Europe.

Manifestation of infantile scurvy in a skeleton from the high medieval village of Trutmanice (South Moravia, Czech Republic).

The study describes the pathological findings recorded on the human remains of a 3 to 4-year-old child found in the burial site of Trutmanice (Czech Republic), dated to the 13th-15th century. The human remains were examined using standard macroscopic osteological and paleopathological methods, supplemented by radiographic examination. Although the preservation of the bones limited the analysis, multiple pathological changes were observed mainly on the skull: cribra orbitalia, small pores and fine deposits of newly formed bone tissue, hypertrophic diploë, grooves indicating rich branching of meningeal arteries on the intracranial surface of the cranial vault. A very fine periostotic deposition of newly formed bone tissue was also observed at the distal end of the diaphysis of the right tibia and both distal ends of the femora. The radiographs of the femora showed white lines of Frankel, scurvy lines, and Wimberger's rings. The observed pathological changes were possibly consistent with scurvy based on differential diagnosis. Reports about cases of juvenile scurvy from rural areas within the context of landlocked countries of Central Europe are rare. While scurvy is now more frequently reported in the paleopathological literature, evidence for scurvy within one of the most natural agricultural areas in the Czech lands remains rare. We recommend using radiographic examination to complement the diagnosis of scurvy in future paleopathological and epidemiological studies of past populations.

Occurrence of calcaneal spurs on skeletal remains of historical populations in the context of footwear development.

This communication is focused on monitoring the occurrence of plantar and dorsal exostoses (spurs) on the calcanei of skeletons from various dated historical periods. A total of 361 calcanei from 268 individuals were evaluated (prehistoric sites - Podivín, Modrice, Mikulovice; mediaeval sites - Olomouc-Nemilany, Trutmanice; modern age sites - the former Municipal Cemetery in Brno in Malá Nová Street, collections of the Department of Anatomy, Masaryk University, Brno). Differences in period footwear for individual population samples were taken into account when interpreting the findings. Health defects were sought for individual types of historical footwear, which could have a causal connection with the occurrence of exostoses on the calcanei. Plantar calcaneal spur occurred most frequently in the mediaeval population (23.5 %; N = 51), less frequently in prehistory (14.1 %; N = 85) and least in modern times (9.8%; N = 132). Similar results were observed for dorsal calcaneal spur in the attachment of the Achilles tendon, but with higher values. In the Middle Ages, its incidence was highest (47.0 %; N = 51), followed by prehistoric times (32.9 %; N = 85), with the least found from the modern age (19.9 %; N = 132). However, the results obtained correspond only to a certain extent to the defects in footwear in the relevant historical period.

A very rare case of possible actinomycosis of the mandible from the Middle Ages.

OBJECTIVE: Documented cases of actinomycosis in archaeological skeletons are very rare, especially from Central Europe. Our contribution will help facilitate the differential diagnosis of this disease for other paleopathologists. MATERIAL: This paper describes a pathological finding of the skeleton of a 40-year-old male from a burial ground in Sady-Spitálky (Czech Republic) dated to the 10th-12th century. METHODS: The affected skeleton was evaluated as a probable case of actinomycosis on the basis of a detailed macroscopic, X-ray and histological examination. The osteolytic foci examined were compared with similar changes caused by tuberculosis, syphilis and mycoses. RESULTS: The character and location of the defect on the mandible is indicative of organ actinomycosis and is also reflected by the lytic lesion observed on a lumbar vertebra. CONCLUSIONS: The described case can be considered one of the very rare paleopathological findings of possible actinomycosis in humans in Central Europe. SIGNIFICANCE: Good evidence of bone actinomycosis findings may be beneficial for further paleopathological and epidemiological studies, especially for research focused on the diachronic development of actinomycosis in Europe. In doing so, all available factors, such as hygiene habits, nutrition, social structure and overall health of the population that could be causally related to its origin, course and treatment, can be taken into account. LIMITATIONS: The mandible of the studied individual was damaged, especially in the area affected by the lesion, so the paleopathological analysis was difficult to perform. SUGGESTION FOR THE FUTURE RESEARCH: In future, actinomycosis in this skeleton may be confirmed by bio-molecular analysis.

A brief history of tuberculosis in the Czech Lands.

Tuberculosis currently remains a serious medical problem, therefore increased attention is being paid to this disease. Paleopathological studies focused on the monitoring of morbid changes in skeletal remains of historical populations facilitate a detailed study of the development of this disease. They provide direct evidence of the existence of tuberculosis and its past forms. In addition to literary and iconographic sources, the present study is focused on recording the findings of bone tuberculosis in historical osteological sets from the Czech Lands and is the starting point for their detailed review. Approximately 76 cases of bone tuberculosis from the Czech Lands have been published and more or less reliably documented from 20 archeological sites dated back from the Eneolithic to the modern period.

The possibilities of studying human embryos and foetuses using micro-CT: a technical note.

The purpose of the study was to discover a way to study the internal structure and evolution of human embryos noninvasively. The human embryo was stained with phosphotungstic acid solution (PTA) in ethanol (EPTA) and scanned using a micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scanner. Using appropriate software, a three-dimensional image of the embryo was created, which could be further exploited. The methodology described could be used for the non-destructive examination of the internal structure of the human embryo, and the resulting data can be used as a resource for medical students, gynaecologists, and paediatricians.

Variability of the pronator teres muscle and its clinical significance.

While investigating the cause of entrapment syndrome of the peripheral nerves in the elbow region, we observed variability of the pronator teres muscle and the relationship of this muscle to the median nerve and the surrounding vessels. Attention was also paid to the occurrence of the supracondylar process of the humerus and Struthers' ligament with regard to their ontogenetic and phylogenetic development. For this purpose, a classical anatomical dissection of the upper limbs of 68 adults, three fetuses and a phylogenetic assessment of five mammalian species was performed. In terms of variability in the anatomical structures of the elbow region, we found the most serious clinical condition to be where the median nerve ran through the pronator canal together with the ulnar vessels (1.5%), or when it passed through the ulnar head of the pronator teres (5.9%). The pronator teres examined by us in fetuses showed the same arrangement as in adult individuals, including the created ulnar head. The occurrence of a supracondylar process and Struthers' ligament was not observed in our collection. The presence of these structures was not confirmed during the fetal period, either. The phylogenetic part of the study re-opened the question of the meaning and function of the entepicondylar foramen, because we noted differences in the occurrence of this structure in two related genera with a very similar way of life (Djungarian hamster and golden hamster).