The Sei Whale Spine is Repaired.

The Sei whale skeleton has damage to three of it's thoracic vertebrae. The vertebral processes (this is the part of the bone that points upwards) of the 11th, 12th and 13th vertebrae have been damaged and broken off from the body of the vertebrae. These had been re-attached to the skeleton by screwing the loose parts of the bone onto a piece of wood sitting on the vertebral bodies below.

The wobbly wooden block holding the broken pieces of vertebrae onto the spine.

It was decided that a more stable and aesthetically pleasing solution to the broken vertebrae was required. So, Gordon set about making a new attachment for them.

First the wood block was cut into small pieces so that it could be removed from the skeleton with the vertebral processes still attached. The bones pieces were then carefully unscrewed from their wooden attachment and cleaned.

The spine after the wooden block and attached bone pieces have been removed.

Next, Gordon took a long sheet of expanded aluminium mesh and shaped it into a long prism shape so that it could be slotted along the tops of the vertebral bodies that the bone had broken away from.

The shaped metal mesh running along the spine. This will act as a scaffold to attach the loose bone pieces to.

The metal sheet was secured to the skeleton with screws into the cork that act as intervertebral discs between the vertebra.

A screw into the cork holding the metal mesh securely in place.

There was now a stable framework on which to re-attached the bone pieces to the spine. They were bolted onto the wire mesh using stainless steel bolts through the original holes that the screws in to the wood had formed, so no further damage to the bone was sustained.

Securing the bone pieces onto the metal mesh.

A re-attached vertebral process.

It looks great and the damaged area of the spine is stable and no longer wobbles around!