Review

Authors: Shumpei Mori, Justin T Tretter, Diane E Spicer...

The heart is a remarkably complex organ. Teaching its details to medical students and clinical trainees can be very difficult. Despite the complexity, accurate recognition of these details is a pre-requisite for the subsequent understanding of clinical cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. A recent publication promoted the benefits of virtual reconstructions in facilitating the initial understanding achieved by medical students. If such teaching is to achieve its greatest value, the datasets used to provide the virtual images should themselves be anatomically accurate. They should also take note of a basic rule of human anatomy, namely that components of all organs should be described as they are normally situated within the body. It is almost universal at present for textbooks of anatomy to illustrate the heart as if removed from the body and positioned on its apex, the so-called Valentine situation. In the years prior to the emergence of interventional techniques to treat cardiac diseases, this approach was of limited significance. Nowadays, therapeutic interventions are commonplace worldwide. Advances in three-dimensional imaging technology, furthermore, now mean that the separate components of the heart can readily be segmented, and then shown in attitudinally appropriate fashion. In this review, we demonstrate how such virtual dissection of computed tomographic datasets in attitudinally appropriate fashion reveals the true details of cardiac anatomy. The virtual approach to teaching the arrangement of the cardiac components has much to commend it. If it is to be used, nonetheless, the anatomical details on which the reconstructions are based must be accurate. Clin. Anat. 32:288-309, 2019. © 2019 The Authors. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists.

Topics: Anatomy; Cardiology; Heart; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Models, Anatomic; Thoracic Cavity; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PubMed: 30675928
DOI: 10.1002/ca.23340

Review

Authors: Piotr Paweł Chmielewski

Since its inception, the International Anatomical Terminology has been an indispensable and widely embraced resource for authors, anatomists, researchers, and medical professionals, ensuring standardized anatomical terminology across various disciplines. Nonetheless, it is widely acknowledged that periodic updates and enhancements are necessary to incorporate the latest scientific knowledge and advancements in imaging techniques. The current version of Terminologia Anatomica includes a section dedicated to the paranasal sinuses, encompassing ethmoidal cells and three sinuses: frontal, sphenoidal, and maxillary. However, the anatomical lexicon pertaining to the paranasal sinuses is more extensive. In clinical practice, multiple terms related to clinically significant structures are commonly employed. This article focuses on the clinical terminology associated with the paranasal sinuses, proposing significant extensions to the existing Terminologia Anatomica. These extensions aim to enrich the anatomical nomenclature and facilitate a harmonious convergence between the language of clinicians and the anatomical lexicon. Further endeavors should bridge the gap in anatomical nomenclature and improve communication between anatomists, researchers, and clinicians, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy and improving interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Topics: Terminology as Topic; Humans; Paranasal Sinuses; Anatomy

PubMed: 37807010
DOI: 10.1007/s12565-023-00745-3

Review

Authors: Randy L Buckner

Twenty-five years ago the first human functional neuroimaging studies of cognition discovered a surprising response in the cerebellum that could not be attributed to motor demands. This controversial observation challenged the well-entrenched view that the cerebellum solely contributes to the planning and execution of movement. Recurring neuroimaging findings combined with key insights from anatomy and case studies of neurological patients motivated a reconsideration of the traditional model of cerebellar organization and function. The majority of the human cerebellum maps to cerebral association networks in an orderly manner that includes a mirroring of the prominent cerebral asymmetries for language and attention. These findings inspire exploration of the cerebellum's contributions to a diverse array of functional domains and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Topics: Cerebellum; Cognition; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Neural Pathways; Neuroanatomy; Neuroimaging

PubMed: 24183029
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.044

Authors: R H Anderson, N A Brown

BACKGROUND

There is a marked conservative tendency to be found in anatomic descriptions, with a seeming reluctance on the part of acknowledged experts to test new theories by returning to direct studies of gross anatomy. This tendency has become manifest to us during recent attempts to review the structure and function of the heart.

METHODS

We have reviewed our recent experience in trying to describe the structure and development of the atrial septum and arterial roots, attempting at the same time to establish the place of semantic as opposed to morphologic factors in disagreements on these topics.

RESULTS

Dissection of the structures separating the right atrium from the left atrium shows a fundamental difference between the infolded superior rim of the oval foramen, made up of the atrial walls, versus the make up of the sinus and atrioventricular septums, which are true septal structures. Analysis of the arterial roots shows that the major feature is the semilunar attachment of the valvar leaflets, an arrangement not ideally described in terms of an annulus.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding of details of cardiac anatomy, as set out in standard textbooks, is hindered by a reluctance on the part of some to accept material presented on the basis of straightforward gross dissection. Instead, there is a seeming desire to depend on conventional wisdom, often unsupported by anatomic fact. Such controversies can be ameliorated by appropriate recognition to contributions of gross morphology and by using simple words to describe the observed anatomic features.

Topics: Anatomy; Arteries; Coronary Vessels; Heart; Heart Septum; Heart Valves; Humans; Terminology as Topic

PubMed: 8876818
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(199609)246:1<1::AID-AR1>3.0.CO;2-Y

Authors: Jakob J Meyer, Markus M Obmann, Marianne Gießler...

Profound knowledge in functional and clinical anatomy is a prerequisite for efficient diagnosis in medical practice. However, anatomy teaching does not always consider functional and clinical aspects. Here we introduce a new interprofessional approach to effectively teach the anatomy of the knee joint. The presented teaching approach involves anatomists, orthopaedists and physical therapists to teach anatomy of the knee joint in small groups under functional and clinical aspects. The knee joint courses were implemented during early stages of the medical curriculum and medical students were grouped with students of physical therapy to sensitize students to the importance of interprofessional work. Evaluation results clearly demonstrate that medical students and physical therapy students appreciated this teaching approach. First evaluations of following curricular anatomy exams suggest a benefit of course participants in knee-related multiple choice questions. Together, the interprofessional approach presented here proves to be a suitable approach to teach functional and clinical anatomy of the knee joint and further trains interprofessional work between prospective physicians and physical therapists as a basis for successful healthcare management.

Topics: Anatomy; Curriculum; Education, Medical; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Educational Measurement; Female; Humans; Interprofessional Relations; Knee Joint; Male; Orthopedics; Physical Therapy Specialty; Physicians; Prospective Studies; Students; Students, Medical; Teaching; Young Adult

PubMed: 27893968
DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2016.10.011

Authors: Helene M Langevin, Jason A Yandow

Acupuncture meridians traditionally are believed to constitute channels connecting the surface of the body to internal organs. We hypothesize that the network of acupuncture points and meridians can be viewed as a representation of the network formed by interstitial connective tissue. This hypothesis is supported by ultrasound images showing connective tissue cleavage planes at acupuncture points in normal human subjects. To test this hypothesis, we mapped acupuncture points in serial gross anatomical sections through the human arm. We found an 80% correspondence between the sites of acupuncture points and the location of intermuscular or intramuscular connective tissue planes in postmortem tissue sections. We propose that the anatomical relationship of acupuncture points and meridians to connective tissue planes is relevant to acupuncture's mechanism of action and suggests a potentially important integrative role for interstitial connective tissue.

Topics: Acupuncture; Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Anatomy; Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; Biomechanical Phenomena; Connective Tissue; Fascia; Humans; Meridians; Models, Biological; Palpation

PubMed: 12467083
DOI: 10.1002/ar.10185

Review

Authors: David G Amaral, Helen E Scharfman, Pierre Lavenex...

The dentate gyrus is a simple cortical region that is an integral portion of the larger functional brain system called the hippocampal formation. In this review, the fundamental neuroanatomical organization of the dentate gyrus is described, including principal cell types and their connectivity, and a summary of the major extrinsic inputs of the dentate gyrus is provided. Together, this information provides essential information that can serve as an introduction to the dentate gyrus--a "dentate gyrus for dummies."

Topics: Animals; Dentate Gyrus; Neuroanatomy; Neurons

PubMed: 17765709
DOI: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)63001-5

Authors: B Sivapathasundharam

Topics: Anatomy; Curriculum; Education, Dental; Humans; India; Tooth

PubMed: 18797090
DOI: 10.4103/0970-9290.42946

Review

Authors: Gianfranco Natale, Guido Bocci, Domenico Ribatti...

The discovery of the lymphatic system has a long and fascinating history. The interest in anatomy and physiology of this system paralleled that of the blood cardiocirculatory system and has been maybe obscured by the latter. Paradoxically, if the closed blood system appeared open in Galen's anatomy and physiology, and took a very long time to be correctly described in terms of pulmonary and general circulation by ibn Al-Nafis/Michael Servetus/Realdo Colombo and William Harvey, respectively, the open lymphatic system was incorrectly described as a closed circuit connected with arteries and veins. In ancient times only macroscopic components of the lymphatic system have been described, although misinterpreted, including lymph nodes and lacteals, the latter being easily identified because of their milk-like content. For about 15 centuries the dogmatic acceptance of Galen's notions did not allow a significant progress in medicine. After Vesalius' revolution in anatomical studies, new knowledge was accumulated, and the 17th century was the golden age for the investigation of the lymphatic system with several discoveries: gut lacteals (Gaspare Aselli), cloacal bursa (Hieronimus Fabricius of Acquapendente), reservoir of the chyle (Jean Pecquet), extra-intestinal lymphatic vessels (Thomas Bartholin and Olaus Rudbeck dispute), hepatic lymph circulation (Francis Glisson). In the Enlightenment century Frederik Ruysch described the function of lymphatic valves, and Paolo Mascagni provided a magnificent iconography of the lymphatic network in humans. In recent times, Leonetto Comparini realized three-dimensional reconstructions of the liver lymphatic vessels, and Kari Alitalo discovered the lymphatic growth factor/receptor system. Far from a complete understanding of its anatomy and function, the lymphatic system still needs to be profoundly examined.

Topics: Anatomy; Animals; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; History, Ancient; Humans; Lymphatic System

PubMed: 28614587
DOI: 10.1111/joa.12644

Review

Authors: K Laios, E Lagiou, V Konofaou...

The ancient Greek physicians skipped the description of thyroid gland probablydue to their difficultly to understand the anatomy and the existence of this organ.Although the ancient physicians had described the disease bronchocele (Greek:Βρογχοκήλη), this disease did not correspond exactly to goitre. The first officialdescription of this gland was made by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564). Thomas Wharton (1614-1673) in his work Adenographia was the one who coined the term 'Glandulae thyreoidea'.

Topics: Anatomy; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Humans; Thyroid Cartilage; Thyroid Gland

PubMed: 30009365
DOI: 10.5603/FM.a2018.0059