Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function, ed 4.

Palastanga N, Field D, Soames R. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002, paperback, 687 pp, illus, ISBN: 0-7506-5241-1, $69.95.

Anatomy and Human Movement was written primarily for students of the musculoskeletal system, and it emphasizes the clinical and functional applications of human anatomy. The organization of this book is a hybrid of the regional and systemic approaches to the study of anatomy. The book consists of 8 chapters. Some chapters are organized by region of the body (chapters 3-6: "The Upper Limb," "The Lower Limb," "The Trunk and Neck," and "The Head"), and some are organized by organ systems (chapter 2, "Skin: Its Appendages and Special Senses," and chapter 8, "The Nervous System"). In addition, an introductory chapter defines basic terms and concepts, and a "viscera" chapter provides an overview of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urogenital, and endocrine systems.

In the chapters organized by body region, each region contains separate sections for bones, joints, muscles, nerve supply, blood supply, and lymphatics. Within the muscles section of these chapters, the muscles are grouped according to function rather than location. Some simple movements are analyzed, instructions for the palpation of structures are presented, and the deficits resulting from common injuries are discussed. Simple overviews of embryology are included throughout the book and provide a useful review for readers who have completed a human embryology course.

The fourth edition contains 2 major changes from the third edition. The first change is that many of the illustrations have been redrawn with 2 colors. The illustrations in this book are simple line drawings that help the reader to visualize the information in the descriptive text, and the addition of a second color is helpful. Many of the remaining black-and-white illustrations, however, also would have benefited from the addition of color, and the shading in some of the drawings is unusual and slightly distracting. The second major change from the third edition is that the illustrations have been incorporated directly into the text rather than restricted to facing pages. This is an improvement, and the numerous figures are a positive feature. The figures include several radiographic images, which are helpful, although some are not of exceptionally high quality.

This book is well written by expert anatomists who are experienced in teaching physical therapist students. It would be an appropriate textbook for advanced undergraduate or graduate students in courses in human movement, and it would be a useful addition to the reference library of orthopedic or sports physical therapists. The organization by system makes it somewhat less convenient to use as the primary textbook in a regional anatomy course with a dissection component. Other, more concise textbooks on musculoskeletal anatomy are available, but this one is relatively easy to read and is packed with useful information. There are only scattered references, and, because some of the authors' interpretations of muscle actions and joint mechanics are not universally accepted, the inclusion of references in this area in future editions would be an improvement.

William A Roy, PT, PhD

University of Mississippi Medical Center 

Jackson, Miss

Dr Roy is Associate Professor of Anatomy and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and taught gross anatomy to physical therapist and occupational therapist students for 13 years. He co-authored Gross and Developmental Anatomy, a review book published in 2003 for medical students preparing for the USMLE Step 1.