Shark Attack!

By Herbert House (rr)

Abstract

This case is based on the real-life incident of a boy whose arm was bitten off by a bull shark while swimming off the coast of Florida in the summer of 2001. After the boy’s arm was retrieved from the shark’s mouth, it was surgically reattached. The case was developed for use in the laboratory section of a freshman- or sophomore-level introductory human anatomy course that takes a regional approach. Several similar clinical cases are used in conjunction with each anatomical region as it is dissected. This particular case study is used during the dissection lab on the upper extremity of the human body.

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Date Posted

05/24/2002

Overview

Objectives

Identify the bone, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves associated with a cross section of the arm.
Explain the action of the associated muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.
Identify any movements within the arm, forearm, wrist, and fingers that would be affected and explain how these movements might be altered after arm reattachment.
Define collateral circulation and identify the regions of collateral circulation found in the upper extremity.
Explain how collateral circulation might be helpful to restoring circulation to the severed bone.
Identify the location and specific vessels associated with collateral circulation in this area.
Identify specific types of activities that might cause the patient problems after recovery.
Explain the effects that age might have on the reattachment of an arm.

Keywords

Upper arm; upper extremity; surgical reattachment; limb reattachment; collateral circulation; bull shark

Subject Headings

Anatomy

Medicine (General)

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Directed, Laboratory

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching Notes

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Answer Key

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