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.
Whale sharks can grow to 12.2 meters and weigh as much as 40 tons by some estimates! The largest reported whale shark was 20 meters, but it is uncommon to see them longer than 12 meters. They have broad, flat heads with short snouts and their backs have an interesting white, yellow, and grey checkerboard pattern.