The myodural bridges’ existence in the sperm whale
Pei Liu, Chan Li, Nan Zheng, Xiaoying Yuan, Yutong Zhou, Pu Chun, Yanyan Chi, Campbell Gilmore, Shengbo Yu, Hongjin Sui
Key takeaways
- 01Anatomical study of a single sperm whale
This study of a sperm whale confirms myodural bridges exist in marine mammals, suggesting a potential role during deep-water dives.
Recent studies have identified that the myodural bridge (MDB) is located between the sub occipital muscles and cervical dura mater in the posterior atlanto-occipital interspace within humans. The myodural bridge has been considered to have a significant role in physiological functions. However, there is little information about the myodural bridge in marine mammals; we conducted this study to investigate and examine the morphology of the myodural bridge in a sperm whale. We also aim to discuss the physiological functions of the myodural bridge. In this study, a 15.1-meter long sperm whale carcass was examined. Multiple methods were conducted to examine the bridges of the sperm whale which included dissection, P45 plastination and histological analysis. This study confirmed the existence of the myodural bridge in the sperm whale and shows there are two types of the bridge in the sperm whale: one type was the occipital-dural bridge (ODB), the other type was the MDB. A large venous plexus was found within the epidural space and this venous plexus is thought to contain a great amount of blood when in deep water and thus the movements of suboccipital muscles could be a unique power source that drives cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
The episode was first published on The Fascia Guide YouTube channel on February 5, 2025. In this inspiring episode, we meet Deanna Hansen — founder of Block Therapy™ and a pioneer…
The first episode of the English podcast “The Fascia Guide”. The Fascia Guide is a podcast about the living body, about new research and a new perspective on health, pain and what…