ONTOGENETIC VARIATION OF AXIAL STABILITY IN DOLPHINS

哺乳动物中轴骨骼的稳定性是由骨元素、结缔组织和韧带的相互作用决定的。 本研究项目将研究自然表现出这两种情况的哺乳动物系统的轴向稳定性和不稳定性。 具体而言，本项目将使用一种新的动物模型，海豚（Tursiops truncatus），以研究形态学在确定脊柱不稳定力学中的作用。 胎儿和新生海豚的中轴骨骼的特点是极端的不稳定性，这在几周后的正常生长模式的反应消失。 这个项目将记录海豚脊椎骨的稳定性变化以及同时发生的形态生长模式。 海豚中轴骨骼的稳定性将使用体外力学测试和体内运动学方法相结合来确定。 这些数据将与定量的形态学数据，从一个发展系列的海豚，总的和组织学。 最终，这项研究计划的目的是确定有助于发展中哺乳动物骨架结构稳定性的形态学特征。 这项研究的结果可能揭示与观察到的病理学相关的偶然因素，如腰椎不稳和特发性脊柱侧凸，以及识别保护脊髓免受过度变形损伤的结构。

The stability of the mammalian axial skeleton is determined by the interaction of bony elements, connective tissues, and ligaments. This research project will examine axial stability and instability in a mammalian system that naturally exhibits both conditions. Specifically, this project will use a novel animal model, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), to investigate the role morphology plays in determining the mechanics of spinal instability. The axial skeletons of fetal and neonatal dolphins are characterized by extreme instability, which disappears in response to normal growth patterns after a few weeks. This project will document the changing stability of the dolphin backbone in conjunction with the morphological growth patterns that occur simultaneously. The stability of the dolphin axial skeleton will be determined used a combination of in vitro mechanical tests and in vivo kinematic methods. These data will be correlated with quantitative morphological data, both gross and histological, from a developmental series of bottlenose dolphins. Ultimately, this research proposal aims to identify the morphological features that contribute to structural stability in the developing mammalian backbone. The results from this study may shed light on casual factors associated with observed pathologies such as lumbar instability and idiopathic scoliosis, as well as identifying structures that protect the spinal cord from damage due to excessive deformations.