Topography of the medullary cone of the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous Linnaeus, 1766): Case report

Abstract

The crab-eating fox is the most common Canidae of South America. In general, its diet varies according to the season and inhabited region. In this study, the medullary cone of the crab-eating fox was described because of interests in comparative anatomy, with the goal of providing information that could assist in epidural anesthesia, which cannot be efficiently practiced without knowledge of this anatomical region. We investigated an adult male from the Bauxite Mine (Paragominas, PA), which was dissected in the lumbosacral region. The medullary cone was 10.13 cm long; the base began at the L6 and the apex was at the S3. Considering that the specimen studied had nine lumbar and four sacral vertebrae, we conclude that the sacrococcygeal region is probably the most suitable place for epidural anesthesia.

Keywords

• Anatomy
• Epidural anesthesia
• Spinal cord