06-24-2012, 01:51 PM
These girls and their family are amazing. Had never heard about them before, which says a lot about their parents pushing for them to have a normal life outside of the limelight, imo.
A little bit from Google about how their bodies function.
Each of the twins manages one side of their conjoined body. The sense of touch of each is restricted to her body half; this shades off at the midsagittal plane such that there is a small amount of overlap at the midline. They are effective in cooperatively using their limbs when both hands or both legs are required
Abigail and Brittany have individual organs in the upper part of their body, while most of the organs located at or below the level of the navel are shared, the exception being the spinal cord.[2]
2 heads
2 spines merging at the coccyx and joined at the thorax by sections of ribs. Surgery was employed to correct scoliosis.
2 completely separate spinal cords
2 arms (originally 3, but rudimentary central arm was surgically removed, leaving central shoulder blade in place)
1 broad ribcage with 2 highly fused sternums and traces of bridging ribs. Surgery was employed to expand the pleural cavities.
2 breasts
2 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
4 lungs with the medial lungs moderately fused, not involving Brittany's upper right lobe; three pleural cavities
1 diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing, slight central defect
2 stomachs
2 gallbladders
1 liver, enlarged and elongated right lobe
Y-shaped small intestine, which experiences a slightly spastic double peristalsis at the juncture
1 large intestine with one colon
3 kidneys: 2 left, 1 right
1 bladder
1 set of reproductive organs
2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
1 slightly broad pelvis
2 legs
A little bit from Google about how their bodies function.
Each of the twins manages one side of their conjoined body. The sense of touch of each is restricted to her body half; this shades off at the midsagittal plane such that there is a small amount of overlap at the midline. They are effective in cooperatively using their limbs when both hands or both legs are required
Abigail and Brittany have individual organs in the upper part of their body, while most of the organs located at or below the level of the navel are shared, the exception being the spinal cord.[2]
2 heads
2 spines merging at the coccyx and joined at the thorax by sections of ribs. Surgery was employed to correct scoliosis.
2 completely separate spinal cords
2 arms (originally 3, but rudimentary central arm was surgically removed, leaving central shoulder blade in place)
1 broad ribcage with 2 highly fused sternums and traces of bridging ribs. Surgery was employed to expand the pleural cavities.
2 breasts
2 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
4 lungs with the medial lungs moderately fused, not involving Brittany's upper right lobe; three pleural cavities
1 diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing, slight central defect
2 stomachs
2 gallbladders
1 liver, enlarged and elongated right lobe
Y-shaped small intestine, which experiences a slightly spastic double peristalsis at the juncture
1 large intestine with one colon
3 kidneys: 2 left, 1 right
1 bladder
1 set of reproductive organs
2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
1 slightly broad pelvis
2 legs