Australian Doctor : The blunt question first . Don ’ t we know all we need to know about the anatomy of the human body ?

Also , for the first time , we are starting to look at diversity in anatomy , not just the difference between a male and female body , but what

Associate Professor Quentin Fogg : One thing I say to all my anatomy science students is that the

happens with different body types and body shapes and geographic population differences .

Anatomy is becoming more per-

body is not fully understood at a

sonalised , which I think is a very

macroscopic level .

important thing .

The first reason is that a lot of

What happens to our bodies over

anatomy has been passed down in a

time ? Some of that ’ s well under-

dogmatic way , without a lot of very

stood , like the skeletal changes , but

close scrutiny .

almost everything else is not .

We can see that in beautiful illustrations

from European anatomists / artists from the 1800s .

Anatomically , the focus was on what they knew and what they knew how to use clinically .

They labelled and described what was important to them but still included everything in their imagery . Over time however , we have only included what is important to us , losing detail .

Of course , clinical focus has shifted and focused on greater details , so now we need to look at ways of regaining that detailed imagery , so that our knowledge and

AD : Okay , what has your field of research discovered about the human body in recent years that has clinical relevance ?

Associate Professor Krisztina Valter-Kocsi : I ’ m a vision scientist , so I ’ m looking at retinas , and because I ’ m interested in retinal degeneration , you always find new things .

I ’ m looking at how the different types of retinal nerves are damaged , what happens when they are damaged , not only on the cellular level , but also I investigate the molecular responses to damage or injury , and

An image from the Pernkopf atlas .

Atlas of Topographical and Applied Human Anatomy , Vol . 1 : Head and Neck ; Eduard Pernkopf via John Wiley and Sons

surgeons — that younger doctors are not being taught enough anatomy and they are ignorant of the basics .

Professor Valter-Kocsi : The number of hours to teach anatomy is severely reduced , compared with in the past .

So I believe you can ’ t compare it with the old , classical time when we had four or five lectures and hours of practicals a week .

But that ’ s not saying that we are not teaching students .

understanding can match the aspi-

how we can protect those cells and

We give them the important heart

ration of our modern treatments .

maintain useful vision .

of anatomy , while what we try to do

The second reason we still have

I have colleagues who are look-

is to teach students how to learn the

lots to learn — and that anatomists

ing at different parts of the body ; for

anatomy — how to use an inquiring

are still in demand — is that in the

example , looking at the anatomical

mind to be ready to find out more to

late 1990s and early 2000s , there

changes after whiplash .

achieve an in-depth knowledge of

was a revolution in medical imaging ,

I think this is why it ’ s impor-

detailed anatomy .

and clinically we were able to see so

tant we use human cadavers in both

I think by giving them clinical rel-

much more .

learning and teaching . We all have

evance , bringing it in case studies ,

But this has created a big square

differences , little variations in our

bringing it in problem-based learn-

peg ; the big square peg being our

body . Even our two sides , the left

a high-level sportsperson in one or

should have different treatment

ing and using a different variety of

new understanding of what we see

and right , are not the same . So for

another sport .

pathways .

resources , the students get the neces-

radiologically , and the little round

students and for doctors , we need to

You might have one wrist that is

sary anatomy knowledge .

hole being anatomical terminology and our knowledge of anatomy .

Our anatomical ‘ traditions ’ don ’ t

know these variations . Is it pathological , or is it just normal variation ? That is the fundamen-

Professor Fogg : I specialise in limbs , but in particular , research the wrist , and wrist ligaments are still

type I , and the other that is type II . For patients with completely dysfunctional wrists who need

Anatomy really should be integrated in the clinical , to make sure students understand the relevance

always align with what we see radi-

tal question .

just a mess of different terminol-

major reconstructions to help them

of this knowledge , instead of looking

ologically , yet we persist in trying to

I ’ d also mention its importance

ogies and different categorisation

become functional , then it needs

at it as a rote learning exercise that

fit the two together !

outside medicine . Sports scientists

systems .

to be much more focused on their

can be forgotten as soon as the exam

The last 20 years has been this

are looking at the structure of the

But what we ’ ve been able to

unique anatomy .

is over .

slow wave of anatomists coming to the fore and starting to realise we do need to research this a lot more .

body and structure of the muscles so they can work out whether this particular young person will become

demonstrate from an anatomical perspective is that there are at least two distinct types of wrist , and they

AD : You frequently hear complaints — usually from older

Thinking about GPs , you need to know your anatomy , because you are not opening up the body . You put