Overview
The publication of this new textbook represents a major advance in the integration of anatomy teaching with the study of clinical medicine. Written by a Family Practitioner and two Surgeons with over 100 years of anatomy teaching between them, Illustrated Clinical Anatomy describes core anatomy in relation to normal function and to disease.While being traditionally structured by body region, the content of each chapter is highly innovative, including highlighted descriptions of clinical relevance and clinical photographs and images, in addition to a brand new set of anatomical drawings in full colour. Each clinical condition listed in the curriculum recommended by the American Association of Clinical Anatomists is systematically described and illustrated, using the best modality to demonstrate anatomical relevance.
Synopsis
This new textbook represents a major advance in the integration of anatomy teaching with the study of clinical medicine. Written by a family practitioner and two surgeons with over 100 years of anatomy teaching experience between them, Illustrated Clinical Anatomy describes core anatomy in relation to normal function and disease. While traditionally structured by body region, the content of each chapter is highly innovative, including highlighted descriptions of clinical relevance and clinical photographs and images, in addition to a brand new set of anatomical drawings in full color. Each clinical condition listed in the curriculum recommended by the American Association of Clinical Anatomists is systematically described and illustrated, using the best modality to demonstrate anatomical relevance. Features include: 400 color anatomy drawings, 100 specially commissioned photos of surface anatomy, with line overlays where required, 200 clinical color photographs, 200 black and white images; radiographs, MRIs, CTs, core text supplemented by tables of higher level data, and each chapter is completed by a self-assessment section of MCQs and short answer questions, with Answers.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:George C. Enders, Ph.D.(University of Kansas Medical Center)
Description:This new anatomy textbook is intended to serve medical students progressing through more integrated, clinical curricula by providing numerous illustrations of the core curriculum of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists.
Purpose:The book has used the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) core curriculum as a guide, covering the clinical anatomy of many common diseases and injuries. The preface states that the authors have included a clinical image for nearly all of the common conditions within the AACA core curriculum list. The book takes a regional approach and openly gives little coverage to the nervous system. The adherence to regional anatomy is surprising, considering many integrated medical curricula are structured around organ-based systems.
Audience:It is intended for medical students who are part of new integrated curricula at many medical schools. At many medical schools normal anatomy is being taught at the same time that pathology is being taught, thus this book is particularly well suited to fill the needs of those students. The four authors, which include a radiologist, have many years of experience teaching anatomy.
Features:The illustrations are both the best and worst features of this book. Some of the photographic images including pathological cases, radiological images, and surface anatomy are superb and, in and of themselves, are worth the price of the book (e.g. Fig. 10.2 b illustrating urine extravasation into the superficial perineal space; laparoscopic view of the female pelvis Fig. 9.10; Fig 4.9 and 4.10 bronchogram of right lung; deep venous thrombosis Fig 15.4; tonsillitis Fig, 20.8). Clinical information is placed in separate shaded boxes, which is very useful. Each chapter ends with very nice multiple choice questions with answers and explanations of each choice. Additionally, there are also so called "applied questions" which are generally well thought out and have nice explanations that the students should find very useful. While some of the numerous line drawn illustrations (most likely computer generated) are very effective, others are inadequate. For example, the drawings of the interior of the heart (Fig. 2.3) are so stylized that a student having never seen a heart before will come away with no idea what the tricuspid heart valve, with tendinous cords and papillary muscles looks like. These computer generated illustrations often display one or two key anatomical elements, but are extremely poor at solidifying anatomical relationship and adjacent structures, or positions within the body. As a general rule, the coverage of the vascular system is inadequate in many sections. The sections on the heart are inadequate. Figures 2.3a and 2.14 are so poor that they simply confuse rather than educate. There are no pictures of the ductus or ligamentum venosum. The less than one page description of heart development, which is so critical to understanding of the adult heart and heart defects, is completely inadequate. There are times when too much space and text is spent on the clinical information and not enough time is spent on basic anatomy. The authors have gone overboard in providing "clinical images" such as Fig 2.19 and 2.20 on pericardial effusions, yet not a single illustration of the pericardial sac itself. There is clinical discussion and illustration of skull fractures that damage the middle meningeal artery producing subsequent extradural hematoma (page 277 Fig 18.5 and on page 353), yet the only illustration of the middle meningeal artery as a branch off the maxillary artery (fig 20.4 page 309) is inadequate (the artery is shown coursing 2 mm at best) and there is no description of how the artery gets from the infratemporal fossa into the middle cranial fossa (through the foramen spinosum). There are two radiographs of orbital "blow-out" fractures (Fig. 18.10 & 19.2) both of which are larger than the one normal (labeled) lateral skull film (Fig. 18.4). In another example the spinal cord ischemia following occlusion to the great radicular artery of Adamkiewicz is described, yet there are no illustrations of the basics, either the anterior or posterior spinal arteries or radicular arteries. Herniation of intervertebral discs is nicely illustrated (Fig. 11.10), yet the posterior longitudinal ligament is so poorly illustrated (Fig. 11.4 d) that the reader is left with no understanding of why herniation occurs in a posterior lateral direction. (Too much icing and not enough cake!) The abdomen section is listed as including the pelvis and perineum, a strange classification at best. The abdomen section appears to lack any discussion of referred pain, which is a mistake even for a text that shies away from the nervous system.
Assessment:This book does a superb job of providing great illustrations of lots of clinical anatomy. It has some great features, but it also has some major omission in anatomical content that medical students will likely find frustrating. The highly clinical and short (less than 400 pages) nature of the book may fulfill a need for healthcare professionals who do not need as rigorous a textbook as most medical students require.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: George C. Enders, Ph.D.(University of Kansas Medical Center)Description: This new anatomy textbook is intended to serve medical students progressing through more integrated, clinical curricula by providing numerous illustrations of the core curriculum of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists.
Purpose: The book has used the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) core curriculum as a guide, covering the clinical anatomy of many common diseases and injuries. The preface states that the authors have included a clinical image for nearly all of the common conditions within the AACA core curriculum list. The book takes a regional approach and openly gives little coverage to the nervous system. The adherence to regional anatomy is surprising, considering many integrated medical curricula are structured around organ-based systems.
Audience: It is intended for medical students who are part of new integrated curricula at many medical schools. At many medical schools normal anatomy is being taught at the same time that pathology is being taught, thus this book is particularly well suited to fill the needs of those students. The four authors, which include a radiologist, have many years of experience teaching anatomy.
Features: "The illustrations are both the best and worst features of this book. Some of the photographic images including pathological cases, radiological images, and surface anatomy are superb and, in and of themselves, are worth the price of the book (e.g. Fig. 10.2 b illustrating urine extravasation into the superficial perineal space; laparoscopic view of the female pelvis Fig. 9.10; Fig 4.9 and 4.10 bronchogram of right lung; deep venous thrombosis Fig 15.4; tonsillitis Fig, 20.8). Clinical information is placed in separate shaded boxes, which is very useful. Each chapter ends with very nice multiple choice questions with answers and explanations of each choice. Additionally, there are also so called "applied questions" which are generally well thought out and have nice explanations that the students should find very useful. While some of the numerous line drawn illustrations (most likely computer generated) are very effective, others are inadequate. For example, the drawings of the interior of the heart (Fig. 2.3) are so stylized that a student having never seen a heart before will come away with no idea what the tricuspid heart valve, with tendinous cords and papillary muscles looks like. These computer generated illustrations often display one or two key anatomical elements, but are extremely poor at solidifying anatomical relationship and adjacent structures, or positions within the body. As a general rule, the coverage of the vascular system is inadequate in many sections. The sections on the heart are inadequate. Figures 2.3a and 2.14 are so poor that they simply confuse rather than educate. There are no pictures of the ductus or ligamentum venosum. The less than one page description of heart development, which is so critical to understanding of the adult heart and heart defects, is completely inadequate. There are times when too much space and text is spent on the clinical information and not enough time is spent on basic anatomy. The authors have gone overboard in providing "clinical images" such as Fig 2.19 and 2.20 on pericardial effusions, yet not a single illustration of the pericardial sac itself. There is clinical discussion and illustration of skull fractures that damage the middle meningeal artery producing subsequent extradural hematoma (page 277 Fig 18.5 and on page 353), yet the only illustration of the middle meningeal artery as a branch off the maxillary artery (fig 20.4 page 309) is inadequate (the artery is shown coursing 2 mm at best) and there is no description of how the artery gets from the infratemporal fossa into the middle cranial fossa (through the foramen spinosum). There are two radiographs of orbital "blow-out" fractures (Fig. 18.10 & 19.2) both of which are larger than the one normal (labeled) lateral skull film (Fig. 18.4). In another example the spinal cord ischemia following occlusion to the great radicular artery of Adamkiewicz is described, yet there are no illustrations of the basics, either the anterior or posterior spinal arteries or radicular arteries. Herniation of intervertebral discs is nicely illustrated (Fig. 11.10), yet the posterior longitudinal ligament is so poorly illustrated (Fig. 11.4 d) that the reader is left with no understanding of why herniation occurs in a posterior lateral direction. (Too much icing and not enough cake!) The abdomen section is listed as including the pelvis and perineum, a strange classification at best. The abdomen section appears to lack any discussion of referred pain, which is a mistake even for a text that shies away from the nervous system. "
Assessment: This book does a superb job of providing great illustrations of lots of clinical anatomy. It has some great features, but it also has some major omission in anatomical content that medical students will likely find frustrating. The highly clinical and short (less than 400 pages) nature of the book may fulfill a need for healthcare professionals who do not need as rigorous a textbook as most medical students require.