Anatomists of Medicine

[RLMD]

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Just wondering what fields you all thought the anatomists of medicine enter. The people that really love anatomy - not necessarily dissection, but understanding all the structures of the body, how they relate to each other and how they relate to the practice of medicine.
Radiology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, general surgery, pathology, etc.?

 

[DrDre']

This should generate some interesting debate! I personally would vote for radiology, pathology and general surgery. These people all need to know the greatest amount of anatomy.
Obviously, all fields know their particular area of emphasis but I truly believe rads and path have the market cornered here.
Now, in terms of who does the most with this knowledge? How 'bout interventional rads and gsurg?

Flame me, I know I am forgetting someone...

 

[doepug]

Radiologists!

Rads = multisystem anatomy w/underlying pathophysiology

Orthopods/Plastics/General Surgery = surgical anatomy only

Pathology = specimens only

 

[maxheadroom]

Sure, Rads, until you give them the actual body and ask them to find something . . .

For external anatomy (i.e. non-intra-abdominal/thoracic/cranial), I'd say the Plasticians are most knowledgeable, mostly because we spend our lives trying to figure out how to re-create X from Y. But I'm somewhat biased . . .

 

[Flankstripe]

(i.e. non-intra-abdominal/thoracic/cranial)

What else is left that's of any importance? 🙂 Gotta go with Radiology as well. We are the full-body anatomists, and will only become moreso as the MR magnets get bigger and better.

 

[Docxter]

Radiology by far.

Just in the last two weeks I have been pimped on the following:

1. Supply distribution of the callosomarginal artery and what would happen if we throw a clot there during an angiogram?
2. Finding the cochlear aqueduct on a CT of the temporal bone.
3. What will be seen on the clinical neuro exam in a patient with an aneurysm of the proximal left superior cerebellar artery?
4. What is the first branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery that we are going to get our catheter in today?
5. Course of a persistent fetal trigeminal artery and it's clinical significance.
6. Boundaries and formina/fissures around the pterygopalatine fossa. How could an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the submandibular gland get there?
7. Drainage of the basal vein of Rosenthal, vein of Labbe, and vein of Trolard and effect of occlusion of the inferior petrosal sinus.
8. Which branch of the vestibular nerve is located in the posterosuperior aspect of the internal auditory canal and what separates it from the other nerve branches there?
9. What is this vessel and this fibrous band between the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus?
10. Is the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus located anterior or posterior to the tibial insertion of the ACL?
11. Difference between the anastomotic arc of Beuhler and the marginal artery of Drummond. Which one is important in embolizing an upper GI bleed?
12. What structures are involved in the quadrilateral space syndrome and what would the clinical exam show?
13. Considering the arterial anatomy of the descending colon, in which vessel and where in the vessel would you put your embolization coil in the massive lower GI bleeder?

Now does anyone have any doubt that radiologists need to really know A LOT of general anatomy, more than other fields?

 

[kinetic]

Who ever said Radiologists don't know anatomy? If I ever met a Radiologist who didn't know anatomy, I'd be forced to beat him/her silly with their dictation phone. That's like 85% of what they DO need to know.

If the OP doesn't like doing dissection, then it's a moot discussion to talk about what anatomy Surgeons need to know.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Rads and Ortho.

 

[Apollyon]

General anatomy, rads. Bone, ortho. Spine, ortho-spine and NSx. Belly, GenSx. Gyn, Urogynecology. GU, UroSx. Neuro, neurology and NSx.

In other words, each to their area - I'm always amazed how the ortho-spine and NSx folks can describe in detail each verteba, or how the good GenSx guys can do the abdomen in 3D so well. Likewise, when the Rads people in our conferences drop this aphorism or that, or point out some OBSCURE stuff, just off the cuff, that, too, is cool. When you can take the bizarre, and recognize it as "normal variant", now that's sharp.

 

[fuegorama]

Just wondering what fields you all thought the anatomists of medicine enter. The people that really love anatomy - not necessarily dissection, but understanding all the structures of the body, how they relate to each other and how they relate to the practice of medicine.
Radiology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, general surgery, pathology, etc.?

Radiologists (as doxter demonstrated) have got to know the chunks and tunnels.

However, I have another suggestion.

Don't throw tomatoes, but how 'bout FP/Neuromuscular Medicine. There are only a couple of programs but it's a real application of anatomy.

I'll start cringing now.

 

[VALSALVA]

I'd have to vote for ENT having the most anatomy "bang for the buck." The head and neck are busy places! I'm sitting here trying to recall head and neck anatomy...wow!!!

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Quote: "Sure, Rads, until you give them the actual body and ask them to find something . . . "

Actually, since general radiologists do ultrasound and CT guided biopsies, ultrasound guided thoracentesis and paracentesis, they have a pretty good idea of where findings on CT or US are on the patient. Usually much more than clinicians.