A number of published articles have suggested that each element of Renaissance art contains an inner meaning. Some of these elements include the choice of theme and protagonists, faces selected for the characters, colors used, species of flowers and trees chosen, animals depicted, positions of the elements, posture of the characters and their gestures, juxtapositions in the scenes, and even the very scenario or landscape. All of these elements are thought to have hidden meanings. In this context, this manuscript presents a new hypothesis suggesting that Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) may have concealed symbols associated with female anatomy in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (painted 1508-1512) in Rome. Thus, this paper is useful to better understand the history of anatomy and corroborates recent descriptions that have suggested the possible existence of anatomic figures concealed in many of Michelangelo's works. Clin. Anat. 29:911-916, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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OPINION The clival canal O canal clivalIn a skull of an approximately 35-year-old belonging to the didactical collection of the University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil, it was noted the clival canal of the occipital portion of the clivus (Figure). According to recent descriptions 1 , a clival canal was identified in 1.6% of skulls and there is limited information on bony canals in the occipital part of the clivus. Moreover, the presence of clival canal hasn't been reported in classic anatomical textbooks.The finding of a clival canal might interfere with neurosurgical operations in the clival region and possibly provoke symptoms of the basilar artery, as well as of the basilar plexus 2 . In addition, clinicians and radiologists should take into account this variability when managing cerebral venous disorders or interpreting imaging studies of the skull base 3 . To our knowledge, there is no evidence in the current literature on the incidence of this variation in the population of our country. Thus, this report will be useful to increase the knowledge about this region that has considerable clinical interest 2,4 (clival tumours had very high mortality and morbidity rates) 5 , and finally to help promoting future studies in this area. Figure.Internal view of the skull base with the presence of clival canal (a) being crossed by a histological needle (b). The shape is like a channel 9.1 mm in length and 1.9 mm in diameter. The canal was situated 3.5 mm in front the anterior border of the foramen magnum. In our observations we didn't find any indication of associated pathology this anatomical variation.

Introduction: In the embryonic period, several developmental anomalies of the cerebral arteries occur. The knowledge of these anatomic variations is important to avoid unnecessary surgery and to undergo surgery or interventional radiology with safety. Objective: In this report, we discuss the hypothesis of the presence of azygos anterior cerebral artery as a possible cause of anisocoric pupil found in a patient with 35 years old. To our knowledge, this variation has not been previously reported. Results: In this study we reported a case of this artery emphasizing some morphological, functional and clinical data about this rare vascular abnormality. Conclusion: The results could be important to offer useful information to anatomists, radiologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists and head and neck surgeons.

Introduction The knowledge of the organization of the masseter muscle (MM) and the temporal muscle (TM) is extremely important when related to the study of the stomatognathic system. Moreover, some authors have shown that mastication is of great importance, not only for the intake of food but also for the systemic, mental and physical functions of the body. Materials and Methods We have decided to analyze the biomechanical potential (length of the force arm, muscular work and mechanical advantage) of the MM and TM in the mandibles of mesofacial subjects (n = 34). Results Our results show that the MM exhibits a better biomechanical potential than the TM (p = 0.0001). Conclusion With these data, orthodontists may develop a specific treatment plan and get better results, especially in cases of patients in whom the biomechanical pattern of the temporomandibular joint is unfavorable.

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The Divine Proportion (DP) (Φ=1.618) is found in several natural phenomena and in different human anatomical proportions, such as cephalometric measurements, anatomical organization of the hands and functional and esthetic organization of dentition. Recent studies have described that structures or systems organized based on DP are more stable, aesthetically more pleasurable and functionally more eficiente as they follow mathematically the biological laws. The aim of this study was analyze the DP and other micro‐anatomical parameters in a pair of nerves with similar function, but with different velocities of conduction of nerve impulse ‐ the recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLN) left and right ‐ in which the right RLN presents a larger velocity of nerve impulse conduction. Seven RLN of cadavers obtained from necropsies were analyzed with mathematical, stereological and images tools using the Software Image Pro‐Plus Software 6.0. The micro‐anatomical comparison between the right and left RLN showed that the following parameters of the right RLN are significantly larger: axon diameter (11.2%, p=0.001) and myelinated fiber diameter (20.6%, p=0.0001). The left RLN had a G‐ratio significantly larger than the right RLN (10.3%, p=0.0093). There is a significant difference in DP between the right and left RLN (p=0.0047), in which the right RLN has a perfect value of DP (Φ=1.6), while the left RLN has a value of Φ=1.4. Possibly, the conduction velocity of nerve impulse may not be only affected by the presence of myelin sheath and by axon diameter, but also by “perfect” morphology of nerve fiber.