Posted by Trisha Haszel Kreibich on Thu, Aug 19, 2010 @ 08:48 AM
There may be no better measuring stick for an attorney than the opinions of their peers. The same is true for medical illustrators.
During the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) Annual Conference, each year a judged illustration competition is held. One of the largest and most competitive categories is the Medical-Legal category. Unlike most art competitions, the illustrations are not judged primarily on aesthetics. Instead, the most important criteria are anatomical accuracy and how effective the visuals are in communicating a stated message to the jury.
At the recent 2010 Conference in Portland, Oregon, the illustrations in the medical-legal category were particularly strong, resulting in the presentation of two Awards of Excellence (the highest honor) and four Awards of Merit. Illustrators with MediVisuals of Richmond, Virginia and Dallas, Texas were honored with both the Awards of Excellence and three of the four Awards of Merit. The various award winning illustrations can be seen by clicking the following link: http://www.medivisuals.com/awards.aspx.
The Award of Excellence in Medical Legal Illustration is particularly significant because this Award has only been bestowed 23 times in the 75 year history of the AMI. With this year’s Awards, MediVisuals has now received 18 of the 23.
MediVisuals was also honored with an Award for a medical-legal animation entitled "Cascade Effect of Axonal Loss". The animation was developed for use in all "mild" TBI cases and helps explain how injury to even one axon can interfere with the ability of several neurons to communicate with each other. The animation can be viewed using the following link or clicking the image below: Cascade Effect of Single Axon Loss Animation
For more information on MediVisuals or to receive a complimentary consultation on an upcoming case, please visit www.medivisuals.com
By: Robert Shepherd, MS, Certified Medical Illustrator, Vice President and Director of Eastern Region Operations, MediVisuals Incorporated
© MediVisuals, Inc. - Permission to use any image (or parts thereof) posted on this blog in depositions, demand packages, settlement hearings, mediation, trial, and/or any other litigation or non-litigation use can be obtained by contacting MediVisuals at www.medivisuals.com – otherwise copyright laws prohibit their use for those or other purposes.
Posted by Trisha Haszel Kreibich on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 @ 11:34 AM
By: Robert Shepherd MS, Certified Medical Illustrator, Vice President and Director of Eastern Region Operations, MediVisuals Incorporated
Injuries to the spinal and paraspinal ligaments and muscles can result from violent side-to-side motions or by violent excessive flexion and extension. The illustration below shows the major ligaments of the neck (anterior longitudinal and interspinal ligaments) in hyperflexion and hyperextension, which can be injured grossly or microscopically.
Click to enlarge
The series of three illustrations in the bottom right corner (which is shown in more detail below), show a close-up view of the spinal anatomy in 1.) the Normal condition, 2.) during Excessive Stretching and 3.) After Healing. In the Normal condition, one can appreciate the close relationship between the muscles, nerves and blood vessels. During Excessive Stretch, small tears occur, which causes bleeding in the muscle fibers. After Healing, scar tissue and inflammation entrap blood vessels and nerves resulting in a permanent state of compromised, painful movement.
The same is true for the lower lumbosacral spine and pelvic regions. In the illustration below, the spinal nerves and their posterior branches are seen in close approximation to the ligaments and joint capsules, which are often involved in the injury. During hyperflexion of the lumbar spine, transient bulging of the intervertebral discs can occur.
Click to enlarge
The series of illustrations in the lower right corner of the above image, show the normal lumbosacral and pelvic muscles and tendon fibers, which insert on the bones near the associated posterior spinal nerve branches. During Excessive Stretch, a segmental artery and its branches may be involved in hemorrhaging, scarring and occlusion. After Healing, scar tissue and adhesions form, entrapping nerves and blood vessels, causing chronic pain.
In these next illustrations, muscle is shown in sequentially higher magnifications, which can be used to explain excessive stretch injuries in any area of the body. In the Normal series, the bottom illustration depicts nerves and small body vessels intertwined in muscle with its tendinous attachment to the bone. The middle illustration shows a magnified view of an individual muscle fiber and the top illustration depicts the relationship of the microscopic myofilaments (actin and myosin) in their normal relaxed position.
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In the Excessive Stretch series, the bottom illustration shows the muscle, tendon, blood vessels and nerves as they are excessively stretched. Small hemorrhages are seen escaping from the stretched and torn blood vessels. In the middle illustration, blood is shown escaping into surrounding spaces, reducing oxygen exchange to the muscle and irritating the delicate structures of the muscle fiber. The top illustration depicts the myofilaments, showing the actin and myosin fibers torn and stretched past the point of normal interdigitation. |  |
In the After Healing series, the bottom illustration shows the irregular outline of the scarred and inflammed muscle fiber with small adhesions seen between the blood vessels, nerves and muscle fibers. The middle illustration shows scar tissue and inflammation occluding blood vessels and adhering the delicate structures of the muscle fibers together, limiting motion and causing chronic pain. Lastly, the top illustration depicts the damaged myofilaments. Their normally well-organized, interdigitating arrangement is left destroyed, limiting muscle movement at the most basic level.
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© MediVisuals, Inc. - Permission to use any image (or parts thereof) posted on this blog in depositions, demand packages, settlement hearings, mediation, trial, and/or any other litigation or non-litigation use can be obtained by contacting MediVisuals at www.medivisuals.com – otherwise copyright laws prohibit their use for those or other purposes.