Dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins ( Abby-Brittany Hensel )

Abigail "Abby" Loraine Hensel and Brittany "Britty" Lee Hensel (born March 7, 1990) are highly symmetric dicephalic  parapagus conjoined twins, and further, tribrachius, bipedus. They have two spines and separate half-sacrums, which converge distally within a slightly broad pelvis. Each controls and senses her corresponding arm and leg; a third, rudimentary central arm was amputated in infancy.

 

Brittany’s head is about 15 degrees laterally outward, while Abby’s head tilts laterally outward about 5 degrees, causing Brittany to appear to be slightly shorter. They were raised in New Germany, Minnesota and attended Lutheran High School affiliated with the Missouri Synod in Mayer, Minnesota. At age 12, they underwent surgery at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare to correct scoliosis  and to expand their chest cavity to prevent future difficulties with breathing

Each of the twins manages one side of their conjoined body and are quite effective in cooperatively using their limbs when both hands or both legs are required. By coordinating their efforts, they are able to walk, run and ride a bicycle normally — all tasks that they learned at a normal speed. Each writes with her hand. Together, they can type on a computer keyboard at a normal speed. 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.

 

Organ distribution

 

Most of Abigail’s and Brittany’s shared organs are located at or below the level of the navel.[2]

    2 heads
    2 completely separate spinal cords
    2 vertebral columns with ribs bridging the two columns; their coccyxes merge.
    2 arms (originally 3, but rudimentary central arm was surgically removed, leaving central shoulder blade in place)
    1 broad ribcage, with surgery to correct scoliosis and expand the pleural cavities
    2 breasts
    2 highly fused sternums, traces of bridging ribs
    4 lungs (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 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
     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