Range of pathologies associated with spinal deformity in sand tiger sharks, Carcharias taurus, from public aquaria. (A) Non-affected spine exhibiting uniformity of vertebrae and intervertebral discs. (B) Less severe spinal deformity characterized by compressed vertebral centra and loss of intervertebral space. (C,D) Moderately severe spinal deformities characterized by compressed vertebral centra, loss of intervertebral space, minor or major spinal curvature, excessive mineralization within the vertebral matrix (endophytic idiopathic mineralization) and/or in the peripheral zone of the centrum outside of the notochordal sheath (exophytic idiopathic mineralization), spondylosis caused by excessive mineralization, and subluxation. (E,F) Very severe spinal deformities characterized by compressed vertebral centra, loss of intervertebral space, major spinal curvature, excessive mineralization within the vertebral matrix (endophytic idiopathic mineralization) and/or in the peripheral zone of the centrum outside of the notochordal sheath (exophytic idiopathic mineralization), spondylosis caused by excessive mineralization, and extreme subluxation of the spine. a, compressed vertebral bodies; b, loss of intervertebral space; c, spondylosis; d, minor spinal curvature; e, major spinal curvature; f, endophytic idiopathic mineralization; g, exophytic idiopathic mineralization; h, subluxation; i, extreme subluxation.

Reconstructed CT scan illustrating the severity of spinal deformity in the sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus, in (A) dorsal view, (B) ventral view, (C) right lateral view and (D) left lateral view. Vertebral centra are pictured in white, exophytic idiopathic mineralization is pictured in red, and weakly mineralized structures (ribs, neural arches) are pictured in translucent blue. For ease of viewing, A and B are pictured without neural arches, while C and D are pictured without ribs. Anterior is to the left in A, B and D, and to the right in C. Note overlapping, deformed ribs and vertebral centra fused together at the apex of the spinal lesion via idiopathic mineralization causing extensive spondylosis (illustrated by lack of intervertebral space between adjacent vertebral centra). Exophytic idiopathic mineralization distorted the hemal arches within the spinal lesion, causing partial occlusion of the dorsal aorta in this specimen.