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Is pamidronate effective for acute rheumatic pain?

2002; BMJ; Volume: 61; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/ard.61.2.183

1468-2060

Ahmed Elshafei,

Medical Imaging Techniques and Applications

In an article on Rubens' painting "The Three Graces" Dequeker suggests that hypermobility is a medical explanation of the seeming scoliosis and Trendelenburg sign in the middle figure . 1 But the posture of this middle figure should probably be interpreted as an artistic phenomenon without medical reference.Sculptors in classical Greek and Roman periods often used the contrapposto posture.In this, by putting most weight on one leg, the other leg can be shown in a relaxed and semiflexed position.This undulating between tension and relaxation will animate the figure.A person with normal muscular function and a normal back can perfectly well pose in this way with relaxed hip abductors on the weightbearing side, a descending hip on the opposite side, and a compensating scoliotic posture.This posture is facilitated by support from the arm as in Rubens' painting.If the person tries to take a forward step, relaxation of the muscles of the weightbearing hip can no longer be maintained, and the positive Trendelenburg sign will disappear.In the Renaissance period the use of this contrapposto posture was revived.During his stay in Rome Rubens eagerly studied the then recently excavated Laokoön sculpture with its three distorted figures. 2 He often used such distorted postures in his paintings to give the impression of vigorous muscular characters capable of performing great tasks.The best example is probably "The Debarkation at Marseilles" in the Maria de Medici cycle from 1622 to 1625 for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. 3 Here, three young women, nereides, with curved muscular backs at the bottom of the picture nearly seem to carry the ship of Maria de Medici.