Introduction. Baastrup's sign, also referred to as âkissing spinesâ, is a common disorder of the vertebral column characterized by close approximation and contact of the spinous processes of two adjacent vertebrae, resulting in the formation of a new joint between them (Baastrup, 1936 and Sartoris et al., 1985).. Baastrup's sign, also referred to as âkissing spinesâ, is a common disorder of the vertebral column characterized by close approximation and contact of the spinous processes of two adjacent vertebrae, resulting in the formation of a new joint between them (Baastrup, 1936 and Sartoris et al., 1985).
The most likely theory though is that the name comes from the Old English word for sea-floor shark: hurse. Nurse sharks are slow-moving bottom-dwellers and are, for the most part, harmless to humans. However, they can be hugeâup to 14 feet (4.3 meters)âand have very strong jaws filled with thousands of tiny, serrated teeth, and will bite defensively if stepped on or bothered by divers who assume theyâre docile.
Body structure. The whale shark is enormous and reportedly capable of reaching a maximum length of about 18 metres (59 feet). Most specimens that have been studied, however, weighed about 15 tons (about 14 metric tons) and averaged about 12 metres (39 feet) in length. The body coloration is distinctive.