Practical essay on lateral curvature of the spine: with remarks on a new operation adopted in the treatment of that disease / [Frederic C. Skey].

  • Skey, Frederic C. (Frederic Carpenter), 1798-1872
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical essay on lateral curvature of the spine: with remarks on a new operation adopted in the treatment of that disease / [Frederic C. Skey]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of the intervertebral substances or cartilages can indeed only occur in the lateral, or nearly the lateral direction, because it requires a duration of compression longer than the muscles could be retained in action. Curvature forwards would necessarily bring these muscles into active play, and they, when wearied—that is to say, in the course of a few minutes—would cease to make an effort, and either yield entirely, by which the body would be precipitated forwards, or would relieve themselves by drawing the weight of the body to the perpendicular line, an operation which when effected, would naturally and without mus¬ cular effort transmit it to the ground. Therefore as we cannot retain that forward position without muscular effort, which is susceptible of continuous action only during a brief period, so it follows, that permanent compression of the fronts of the intervertebral cartilages is impossible. Again, with respect to curvature backwards, the same argument will apply with still greater force; be¬ cause as in that unnatural position the action of the large muscles of the spine is now represented by those on the front of the trunk, which are much smaller, so the effort must be greater, or, in other words, the duration of the posture shorter. Lateral curvature, therefore, or distortion of the spine from undue compression of its cartilaginous structure, is by no means necessarily the product of muscular action, although it is very commonly