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Vasa vasorum: an old term with new problems

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to describe the origin of the Latin anatomical term vasa vasorum and its role in current medical research and to present examples of grammatical errors in its use.

Methods

Literary searches oriented on the term vasa vasorum were used to identify publications using it in the medical literature from the seventeenth century up to the present.

Results

The Latin term vasa vasorum was introduced by Ludwig in 1739. The vasa vasorum became an important topic in clinical research around the middle of the twentieth century, with implications in angiology, cardiology and cardiosurgery. We report 18 grammatical errors concerning the use of the term vasa vasorum, starting from the year 1959. A similar decline in the correct use of Latin terminology is also evident in other medical research disciplines.

Conclusions

The numerous errors found in the use of Latin terminology in recent medical literature have occurred as a consequence of decreased use of Latin in the medical community. The only way to improve this situation is by improving awareness of international standard anatomical terminology, which is available worldwide in both Latin and English.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Adam Whitley, M.D., for language corrections of the manuscript. The study was supported by Charles University, Prague (PRVOUK P38 and PROGRES Q41).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Scientific Information, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00, Prague 10, Czech Republic

    Vladimir Musil

  2. Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00, Prague 10, Czech Republic

    Vladimir Musil, David Kachlik, Matej Patzelt & Josef Stingl

  3. Department of Pathology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Teaching Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Srobarova 50, 100 34, Prague 10, Czech Republic

    Josef Sach

Authors
  1. Vladimir Musil
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  2. Josef Sach
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  3. David Kachlik
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  4. Matej Patzelt
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  5. Josef Stingl
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Contributions

VM: project development, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing. JS: data collection, manuscript editing. DK: data collection, manuscript editing. MP: data collection, manuscript editing. JS: project development, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing.

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Correspondence to Vladimir Musil.

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Musil, V., Sach, J., Kachlik, D. et al. Vasa vasorum: an old term with new problems. Surg Radiol Anat 40, 1159–1164 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2068-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2068-3

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