Topographic Anatomy of the Head

Term ANATOMY from Greek anatomé = „a cutting up“

SYSTEMATIC ANATOMY

• As a science deals with morphology and structures of the human body.

• Its sound knowledge forms a basis for understanding of other subdivisions of the anatomy and is required to all clinical medical specialties.

Division of anatomy – criteriums

► The main criterium by the systematic anatomy is functional point of view i. e. systems (e.g. skeletal and muscular systems, cardiovascular system, digestive system, respiratory system, central and peripheral nervous system, urogenital system, integumentary system with skin and epidermal derivates etc.).

Other subdivisions of anatomy:

► Macroscopic (or gross anat.) and Microscopic (close to histology)

► Developmental (experimental, close to embryology)

► Antropological (description and measurments on larger groups of humans)

► Anatomy of the External forms (for painters and sculptors)

► Comparative (between humans and animals)

►►► Normal and Pathological anat. (changes associated with diseases).

Topographical anatomy
Generally the subjects are various specific regions of the human body with all structures included there regardless of their function
i. e. regional anatomy of:
e.g. thorax, abdomen, limbs...
→→→ H+N.

Topographical anatomy of Head and Neck
Usually a course of the description is from the surface to the deepier layers.

RULES IN TOPOGRAPHIC ANATOMY

1) Importance

2) No separation

3) Variations

4) Terminology
 

1/ IMPORTANCE

= What is less important (e. g. regarding life, function) is more superficially located

• Arteries are more deeply than the veins

• Truncs of nerves more deeply than the small nerve branches...

2/ NO SEPARATION

= Many structues have always close relatioship

• The vessels are usually accompanied with nerves (neurovascular bundle)

• Blood vessels (aa., vv.) and lymphatic vessels pass thorugh the body together

3/ VARIATIONS

= Systematic anatomy has large degree of variations from 50 % to 99 % by various regions (especially under some pathological conditions)

4/ TERMINOLOGY

= The Latine terms are precise and avoid use of unnecessary words.

„You will start to build your medical vocabulary.“