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Vesna Koprivnik

Intramedullary Nail with Two Screws

Bitter

Material:
Medical steel
Description:

A nail-like device is placed in the medullary canal when a tubular bone is broken.

 

It is an orthopedic device called an intramedullary nail that is used in the treatment of fractures of tubular bones such as the femur or tibia. This device is a long, hollow rod of almost round cross-section, made of steel, which is inserted into the medullary canal of the broken bone.

 

There are ellipsoidal holes at both ends of the rod, through which the screws that fix the nail to the bone are screwed. In three places between the holes, the surface of the rod is smoothed horizontally, which ensures stability and flexibility during installation.

 

The surface of the rod is engraved with a serial number (S H 12-2462 T0 1047039), which allows for traceability and identification of the tool. The intramedullary nail ensures reliable fixation of the bone to promote proper healing of the fracture, as it keeps the bones in their original position during the recovery process.

 

An elongated hollow rod with an almost round cross-section features elliptical perforations at both ends. In three locations along its length, the steel is horizontally polished. The surface is stamped with the serial number S H 12-2462 T0 1047039.

 

The rod is inserted into the bone to allow the operator to stabilize the fractured area. Two screws are then placed into the bone to realign the fragments into their original position.

Size:
Length 22cm, diameter up to 8mm.
Age:
More than 24 years.
Method of Acquisition:
In 2000, a nail was inserted into my upper arm (humerus).
Item Owner, Age and Location:
Vesna Koprivnik
, 55,
Maribor
Date of Submission:
6. 1. 2021
Story:

It was a winter day in the first week of January 2000. The day before, the warm sun had shone in the afternoon, quickly melting the snow and turning it into water. The municipal services likely didn't anticipate that the surfaces of the partially melted snow would freeze again overnight, so the sidewalks weren't treated with salt. And that's exactly what happened: the sidewalks of Maribor were trapped in a layer of ice. The next day, many residents slipped and fell, leading to an unusually high number of visits to the emergency department of the General Hospital Maribor (now known as UKC Maribor). I was also among the unfortunate ones who lost their footing on the icy sidewalks.

 

On the day of the Feast of the Three Kings, I had to visit the hospital, where doctors determined that I had a complicated fracture of the left humerus. An operation followed, during which an intramedullary nail was inserted into my arm—a device that still reminds me of the bitter moments of that time.

 

Why the bitter aftertaste? After a successful surgery and months of regular check-ups and physiotherapy, it became evident that the fracture still had not healed properly. Soon, I also noticed an unexpected "extra mobility" in the humerus—the bone began to bend at a place where it should have been stable. The efforts of the doctors and my recovery were completely undone after just over a year.

 

A second surgery followed. They removed the intramedullary nail, placed a metal plate with screws on the bone, and performed a tissue transplant from my pelvis to promote healing. Initially, the procedure was successful, but during physiotherapy at the Laško spa, specialists noticed slight movement in the bone. As a result, I had to interrupt my physiotherapy prematurely and was once again forced into complete rest with regular check-ups and X-rays.

 

In May 2001, I underwent a third surgery. This time, they replaced the plate and once again transplanted a piece of soft tissue from my pelvis, as a small fragment of bone had broken off during the procedure. This was followed by a long recovery involving a brace, later crutches, and physiotherapy. Finally, in December 2001, the doctors diagnosed that the fractures had completely healed and that I could return to normal life.

 

Why does the year 2000/2001 leave a bitter taste? Because of all the trials, numerous surgeries, prolonged recovery, and unbearable pain that marked my life during this period.

Color

Tastes appear in color systems as bipolar concepts, divided into opposites such as bitter-sweet, sour-salty and umami-kokumi. We associate sweet taste with the color orange, cyan blue with salty taste, green with sour, and magenta red with bitter. Shades of green are usually associated with growth, while yellow, orange and bright red indicate activity. On the other hand, dark red, magenta and purple symbolize slowing down, while passivity is expressed by various shades of blue.

 

dr. hc Vojko Pogačar, academic painter

Music

First, we chose musical instruments that illustrate different tastes: for the "salty" guitar (Astrid Kukovič), for the "bitter" piano (Sašo Vollmaier), for the "sour" harmonica (Dominik Cvitanič), for the "hot" violin (Andreja Klinc) and for the "sweet" flute (Asja Grauf).

 

Melodies were created spontaneously. The improvisations of the "bitter" melodies were low and legato, the "salty" were determined and articulate, the "sour" were high and dissonant, and the "sweet" were unison, slow and soft.

 

Asja Grauf, professor of flute

Movement

I experience salty as a mixture of all tastes. It awakens a pleasant, relaxed, unusual feeling in me. I associate this taste with long, emphasized and controlled body movements. Bitter is a taste that awakens confusion in me, because with each bite my body decides whether to approve of this taste or not. I associate with it fluid movement with various emphasized and accelerated movements. I can enjoy sweet for several hours a day. My body relaxes when I enjoy sweets for a long time, which cause a pleasant feeling of joy. I associate with sweet slow and easy movements. Sour usually ends quickly. Each bite causes a short shock in my body, and then disappears completely. I associate with sour taste abrupt, fast and uncontrolled movements. Hot is a taste that usually lasts a very long time. It awakens an unpleasant feeling in me that is hard to shake. These are long, strong movements and individual shorter, more intense ones that show evasion and discomfort.

 

Pina Batič, dancer

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF TASTE

An important task of modern museums is to connect the past with the present, to introduce innovative approaches for the education of new generations and to contribute to cultural and social development.

 

Read the personal stories of the individuals who contributed their items to the Museum of Taste.

 

At the same time, we invite you to join this project yourself and participate with your contributions.