Challenges and implementation of the German maternity protection act for female medical students in macroscopic anatomical education.

Background: Recent decades have seen controversial discussions on the validity of dissection courses in medical education, with alternative programs tested for various reasons. On April 1, 2015 the classification of formaldehyde as a hazardous substance was upgraded by the EU, leding to some universities precluding the participation of pregnant and breastfeeding students in dissection course. However, the revision to the Maternity Protection Act, implemented in Germany on January 1, 2018, now protects student mothers from being disadvantaged in their studies as a consequence of their pregnancy or breastfeeding. Therefore, universities must offer alternatives to dissection courses using formaldehyde to these female students. Project description: As an alternative to regular dissection courses, which use the abovementioned chemical, the Centre for Anatomy at Charité has opted for developing dedicated courses for student mothers. These new courses use plastinated prosection material instead of formalin-treated cadavers of body donors. As the core of the anatomical education takes place during the third and fourth semester in the current curriculum of human medicine at Charité the alternative courses are limited to those two semesters. Additionally, alternative exams at the end of both semesters had to be developed. The alternative courses were designed to offer pregnant and breastfeeding students a study program as close as possible to the one in which their peers learn human anatomy. Results: For the new courses, plastinates had to be produced and further specimens are still needed. Additionally required sets of bones, models and radiological images were readily available at the Centre for Anatomy. The planning and conceptualization of the courses took half a year of intense preparation. The courses for the third and fourth semester were first running during summer semester 2017. There is a clear demand for courses among pregnant and breastfeeding students. At least 5 student participants per course were registered, corresponding to every fortieth female student in their semester cohorts. The highest number of student participants was 13 in one course so far. The performances of the participants in the anatomical examinations were matching that of students attending the regular courses. Discussion: The alternative macroscopic anatomy courses enable the implementation of the revised Maternity Protection Act. The targeted student group is highly satisfied with the offered alternative courses. Considering the number of participants and their examination performance so far, the Centre for Anatomy regards the efforts involved in planning and implementing the courses as justified. The courses allow pregnant and breastfeeding students to address the same anatomical themes at the same time as their fellow students. However, due to restricted flexibility of plastinates and because students cannot prepare specific anatomical structures independently the scope of topographic learning is limited. That being said, well-produced plastinates can display anatomical structures which often cannot be dissected in regular courses. The alternative macroscopic anatomy courses using plastinates constitute suitable alternatives to the regular dissection courses with formalin-treated cadavers for pregnant and breastfeeding students.

The principles of anatomical nomenclature revision: They're more like guidelines anyway.

Revision of the international standard anatomical terminology is required periodically to add names for new entities, delete archaic terms, and correct errors in existing terms. In addition to a small set of nomenclature rules, three principles have guided revisions: names should not be changed unless they are wrong; corrections of perceived errors should not be pedantic; and inclusion of every minor structure should not be attempted. These principles have served well, and are expected to continue to do so, but they have also proven to be subjective because their application through the history of the international terminology has varied. Specific efforts to deal with existing problems and new organizational initiatives to prevent future issues are presented. Clin. Anat. 33:327-331, 2020. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anatomy acts in India: a review

The paucity of human cadavers for study of anatomy by dissection and the dark history related to this led to formulation of Anatomy Acts in most countries of the world. In India too, almost every state has its own anatomy Act with variable differences in the acts per state. The objective of this article was to compare the Maharashtra State Anatomy Act which was the first Anatomy act formulated in India, with anatomy Acts of other states in India and to make suggestions regarding areas within the Acts that may need reformulation. Details of the Anatomy Acts from different states of India and articles related to them were obtained after a comprehensive search of databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, medline etc. The obtained data was studied and compared. The study suggested removal of "therapeutic uses of cadavers" from the jurisdiction of anatomy acts, and that all anatomy acts must allow for human body donation. While defining the unclaimed body, most Anatomy Acts failed to specify the time period within which the body may be claimed and also it was necessary to specify the age of person who may claim the body or give consent for body donation. The Anatomy Acts must make provision for transfer of surplus bodies from one Institute to another. The directives for disposal of the bodies once utilized seem difficult to implement in practicality and need to be reformulated to adjust to the need of the modern times. The authors appeal for formulation of a central single Indian anatomy act applicable uniformly throughout India

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Integrated virtual and cadaveric dissection laboratories enhance first year medical students' anatomy experience: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Radiology integration into medical anatomy courses is well established, but there is a paucity of literature on integrating virtual dissection into cadaveric dissection laboratories. Virtual dissection is the digital dissection of medical images on touchscreen anatomy visualization tables. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of integrating virtual dissection into a first-year medical cadaver-based anatomy course and to assess students' overall attitude towards this new technology. METHODS: All students in first-year medicine at a single medical school participated in this study (n = 292). Six virtual dissection laboratories, which focused on normal anatomy, were developed and integrated into a cadaver-based anatomy course. The virtual dissection table (VDT) was also integrated into the final anatomy spot exam. Following the course, students completed a short evidence-informed survey which was developed using a theoretical framework for curriculum evaluation. Numerical data were tabulated, and qualitative content analysis was performed on students' unstructured comments. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 69.2% (n = 202/292). Most (78.7%) students reported that virtual dissection enhanced their understanding of the cadaveric anatomy and the clinical applications of anatomy. Most (73.8%) students also felt that the VDT was an effective use of the laboratory time. Thirteen narrative comments were collected, most of which (61.5%) identified strengths of the curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, students perceived that their learning was enhanced when virtual dissection was combined with a cadaver-based anatomy laboratory. This study demonstrates that there is potential for virtual dissection to augment cadaveric dissection in medical education.

Terminologia Histologica 10 years on: some disputable terms in need of discussion and recent developments.

At first sight, the issue of morphological terminology may seem to be a "closed and unchanging chapter", as many of the structures within the human body have been known for decades or even centuries. However, the exact opposite is true. The initial knowledge of the microscopic structure of the human body has been continuously broadening thanks to the development of new specialized staining techniques, discovery of the electron microscope, or later application of histochemical and immunohistochemical methods into routine tissue examination. Contrary to popular belief, histology has a status of constantly developing scientific discipline, with continuous influx of new knowledge, resulting in an unavoidable necessity to revise the histological nomenclature at regular intervals. The team of experts of the Federative International Programme on Anatomical Terminology, a working group of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists, published in 2008 the First Edition of Terminologia Histologica. Terminologia Histologica (TH) is the best and most extensive of all the histological nomenclatures ever issued. However, here we suggest that several terms of important histological structures are still missing while several other terms are disputable. First, we present some clinically important terms of cells and tissue structures for inclusion in the next TH and, in a second part, we refer to some new terms in the current edition of the TH which are not yet mentioned in current histology textbooks (e.g., fusocellular connective tissue, bundle bone as the third type of bone tissue, spongy layer of vagina or arteria vaginata from the splenic white pulp). With this article we hope to start a wide scientific discussion which will lead to an inambiguous definition and demonstration of typical examples of all terms in the TH, with the result that the new edition of the Terminologia Histologica will become an internationally accepted communication tool for all practitioners and teachers of histology alike.

Using controlled vocabularies in anatomical terminology: A case study with Strumigenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Morphological studies of insects can help us to understand the concomitant or sequential functionality of complex structures and may be used to hypothetize distinct levels of phylogenetic relationship among groups. Traditional morphological works, generally, have encompassed a set of elements, including descriptions of structures and their respective conditions, literature references and images, all combined in a single document. Fast forward to the digital era, it is now possible to release this information simultaneously but also independently as data sets linked to the original publication in an external environment. In order to link data from various fields of knowledge, disseminating morphological information in an open environment, it is important to use tools that enhance interoperability. For example, semantic annotations facilitate the dissemination and retrieval of phenotypic data in digital environments. The integration of semantic (i.e. web-based) components with anatomic treatments can be used to generate a traditional description in natural language along with a set of semantic annotations. The ant genus Strumigenys currently comprises about 840 described species distributed worldwide. In the Neotropical region, almost 200 species are currently known, but it is possible that much of the species' diversity there remains unexplored and undescribed. The morphological diversity in the genus is high, reflecting an extreme generic reclassification that occurred in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Here we define the anatomical concepts in this highly diverse group of ants using semantic annotations to enrich the anatomical ontologies available online, focussing on the definition of terms through subjacent conceptualization.

Teaching anatomy using an active and engaging learning strategy.

BACKGROUND: Various evidence-based and student-centered strategies such as team-based learning (TBL), case-based learning (CBL), and flipped classroom have been recently applied to anatomy education and have shown to improve student engagement and interaction. These strategies shift the focus of teaching from knowledge transmission to knowledge construction by students and encourage the use of tasks. This study discusses the use of an active and engaging learning strategy to teach the musculoskeletal system to Year 1 MBBS students (Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados) and examines the correlation between assessment modalities and student performance. METHODS: The "Active and Engaging Learning Strategy" was used to assess student learning in the form of oral presentations. Students had presentations on muscle attachments, muscle actions, blood and nerve supply, and applied anatomy of the limb musculature. Questions on the limbs (Locomotor System) were included in pre and post-presentation spotters, in-course assessments, and final examinations. Percentages, paired t-test, independent sample t-test, and zero-order correlations were performed to confirm the results for the different objectives of the study. RESULTS: The main modes of presentation chosen were poems (37.1%), followed by stories (21.2%), songs (11.4%), and skits (10.6%). The majority of students (84%) found the strategies beneficial and recommended such sessions for future cohorts (92%). Students achieved significantly better scores in post-presentation spotters (p < 0.01) and the marks of in-course and final examinations also showed significant improvement (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted that the active and engaging learning strategy can be used as an effective learning tool in anatomy. Students were proactive in preparing the muscle presentations by utilizing their own creativity, curiosity, and intelligence. Further studies should be conducted using randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of various learning strategies which could open a new door to medical education.

Developing an international standard for the classification of surface anatomic location for use in clinical practice and epidemiologic research.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no universally adopted terminology for defining human surface anatomic location. The lack of precision, accuracy, and reliability of terms used by health care providers, in particular dermatologic surgeons, is unsatisfactory both for epidemiologic research and for high-quality patient care. OBJECTIVE: We sought to create a clinically relevant yet concise surface anatomy terminology for international use including the International Classification of Diseases and to map it to existing disparate terminologies. METHODS: Widely used surface anatomy terminology data sets and diagrams were reviewed. A Delphi consensus convened to create a novel surface anatomy terminology. The new terminology was hierarchically mapped to Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine terms and New York University numbers and physically mapped to 2-dimensional anatomic diagrams for clarity and reproducibility. RESULTS: The final terminology data set contains 519 discrete terms arranged in a 9-level hierarchy and has been adopted by the World Health Organization for the International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision. LIMITATIONS: Specification of most locations requires linking to laterality qualifiers. Fine granularity for larger sites may require the use of additional qualifiers. CONCLUSION: Consistent use of precise and accurate surface anatomy terms is crucial to the practice of dermatology, particularly procedural dermatology. The proposed terminology is designed to form the basis for evolution of a universally adoptable terminology set to improve patient care, interprovider communication, and epidemiologic tracking.

Effectiveness of PBL methodology in a hybrid dentistry program to enhance students' knowledge and confidence. (a pilot study).

BACKGROUND: Knowledge and self-confidence are two critical determinants of future success of dental students. The present pilot study was conducted with an objective to simultaneously assess both knowledge and confidence gained by dental undergraduate students in the Head and Neck Anatomy course by employing didactic lecture-based and problem-based learning methods. METHODS: A paper-based assessment tool comprising of 30 Multiple choice questions to assess knowledge, followed by a Likert's scale to assess students' confidence to answer the given knowledge question was designed. This tool was used in a cohort of first year dental students before the commencement of Head and Neck Anatomy course (Pre-course), immediately after the completion of Head and Neck Anatomy course (Post-course), and again in third year before the same cohort entered their clinical courses (Pre-clinics). The difference in students' knowledge and confidence through both pedagogies was evaluated by Paired 't' test. Pearson correlation analysis was done to determine the correlation between knowledge scores and self-reported confidence. RESULTS: A statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) was noted in the mean knowledge and confidence scores in the post-course evaluation, through both didactic lecture-based and problem-based learning methods. On the other hand, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the mean knowledge and confidence scores of didactic lecture-based items in comparison to problem-based items was noted in the pre-clinics evaluation.. The post-course evaluation results yielded a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = 0.514, p = 0.002 for lecture-based items and r = 0.495, p = 0.003 for problem-based items, denoting a positive moderate correlation between the knowledge and confidence scores for both lecture-based and problem-based methods. CONCLUSION: A significant improvement in both knowledge and self-reported confidence demonstrated at the end of Head and Neck Anatomy course proves both didactic lectures and problem-based learning methods to be equally effective in a hybrid dentistry program in the short term. However, the non-significant reduction in the pre-clinics knowledge and confidence scores among the PBL lessons proves it to be a potent learning tool for long term retention of knowledge, and sustainability of confidence.

Anatomy, Animation, and Visual Effects: The Reciprocal Tools of Biology and Film-Making.

Locomotion studies, biomechanics, and particularly vertebrate paleontology have had a deep influence on the development of motion pictures, animation, and computer generated visual effects. Biologically straightforward concepts such as morphological correlates of diet, sexual dimorphism, and ontogenetic change are powerful tools for animators and visual effects artists. Despite this deep debt to the ever-increasing role of science and technology in film making, scientists often forget to mine the communication strategies of their science-savvy entertainment industry kin. Further, many of the tools of the film industry are making a direct impact on basic research or have the potential to do so. It is becoming increasingly clear as part of the overall outreach for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ("STEM"), scientists must inform and engage with the public. Significantly, many of the concepts and stories we offer as useful to film makers are compelling stories to offer to our own students. And these can be as compelling to the public as the entertainment they often facilitate. Whereas STEM is critically important, adding "A"-art-as in the artistic strategies from the fields of animation and visual effects to produce "STEAM" helps to build a potentially unstoppable tool for science communication and the public good.

Review of diagnostic error in anatomical pathology and the role and value of second opinions in error prevention.

AIMS: Diagnostic/interpretative accuracy can be challenging in anatomical pathology due to the subjective element of the diagnostic process. This can lead to false-negative or false-positive diagnoses of malignancy, variations in grading and diagnostic misclassification of a condition.It is imperative that an accurate diagnosis is achieved so that an appropriate and timely treatment is administered to the patient, for example, the success of targeted molecular therapeutic options for treatment of cancer is dependent on accurate anatomical pathology diagnoses being issued. METHODS: A literature review of diagnostic accuracy in selected specimen categories was undertaken and was compared with data on metropolitan and regional pathologist diagnostic proficiency performance in an external quality assurance programme from surveys provided 2015-2017. For each specimen category, cases having attracted a diagnostic inaccuracy (ie, major discordance) of ≥20% and cases attracting a combined error rate (ie, major and minor discordance) of ≥30% are reviewed and discussed. RESULTS: The rate of inaccurate diagnoses (assessed as a major discordance) ranged from 3% to 9% among the different specimen groups, with highest mean percentage of inaccurate diagnoses in gynaecology, dermatopathology and gastrointestinal specimens. CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to ascertain that gynaecology, dermatopathology and gastrointestinal specimens had presented the greatest diagnostic challenge to the participant pathologists, determined as highest rate of diagnostic inaccuracy, that is, major discordance with respective case target diagnoses.Through a combination of routine second opinions, directed retrospective peer review and participation in appropriate external quality assurance schemes, the risk associated with these diagnoses can be minimised.

Another new organ! is this a golden age of discovery in anatomy?

Twice in fifteen months the popular press has published reports of the discovery of a new human organ. The claims that the mesentery and interstitium are organs come from medical practitioners, not from anatomical scientists. Although both of these anatomical entities are important in the functioning of the body, neither satisfies the requirements that an organ be composed of two or more tissues and perform a special function. Also missing in the recent claim that the interstitium, that is, connective tissues with fluid-filled spaces, is an organ, is a statement to that effect in the original research report. Alas, it appears to be much ado about nothing. Clin. Anat. 31:648-649, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessment of Anatomical Knowledge and Core Trauma Competency Vascular Skills.

Objectives: Surgical residents express confidence in performing specific vascular exposures before training, but such self-reported confidence did not correlate with co-located evaluator ratings. This study reports residents' self-confidence evaluated before and after Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) cadaver-based training, and 12-18 mo later. We hypothesize that residents will better judge their own skill after ASSET than before when compared with evaluator ratings. Methods: Forty PGY2-7 surgical residents performed four procedures: axillary artery (AA), brachial artery (BA), femoral artery exposure and control (FA), and lower extremity fasciotomy (FAS) at the three evaluations. Using 5-point Likert scales, surgeons self-assessed their confidence in anatomical understanding and procedure performance after each procedure and evaluators rated each surgeon accordingly. Results: For all the three evaluations, residents consistently rated their anatomical understanding (p < 0.04) and surgical performance (p < 0.03) higher than evaluators for both FA and FAS. Residents rated their anatomical understanding and surgical performance higher (p < 0.005) than evaluators for BA after training and up to 18 mo later. Only for third AA evaluation were there no rating differences. Conclusions: Residents overrate their anatomical understanding and performance abilities for BA, FA, and FAS even after performing the procedures and being debriefed three times in 18 mo.

Assessing the impact of the Graduate Certificate in Anatomical Sciences Instruction: A post-degree survey.

There are few graduate programs available for pursuing a doctorate in anatomy where students gain specific training in gross anatomy dissection and the responsibilities of a medical educator. In light of this fact, the University of Kentucky created a Graduate Certificate in Anatomical Sciences Instruction in 2006. This 12-credit hour curriculum includes detailed training in gross anatomy and/or neuroscience courses, practicum experiences, a seminar class in pedagogical literature, and a course in educational strategies for the anatomical sciences. The award of certificate completion affirms that the candidate has demonstrated faculty-supervised proficiency in anatomy dissection, instruction in anatomy topics, and teaching strategies for anatomy. Seventeen graduate students have earned the certificate since its inception; nine students accepted teaching positions in anatomy following their graduate training and currently nine certificate graduates have assistant (six) or associate (three) professor positions in academia. In 2016, an anonymous survey including Likert-style and open-ended questions was emailed to all certificate graduates. Graduates favorably responded (each question averaged 4.4 or greater out of 5) that the certificate increased their awareness of teaching-faculty responsibilities, adequately prepared them for teaching-related duties, and positively contributed toward their first employment. Graduates indicated that the lecturing and dissection experience, awareness of faculty responsibilities, and job preparation (e.g., teaching philosophy development) were the most helpful aspects of the certificate. These results indicate that the Graduate Certificate in Anatomical Sciences Instruction is viewed by its graduates and their employers as a valuable teaching credential that can be attained alongside a basic science degree. Anat Sci Educ 11: 516-524. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

¿Túnica o capa? Análisis histórico, etimológico y propuesta para terminologia anatomica internacional / ¿Tunic or coat? Historical, etymological analysis and proposal for the international anatomical terminology

RESUMEN: El continuo desarrollo de las ciencias morfológicas y la utilización de sus productos por diversas ciencias aplicadas ha provocado la incorporación a Terminologia Anatomica (TA) de modificaciones que tienden a interpretaciones de los nombres, que son dados por principio en latín como idioma oficial. Esta situación, hacen necesarias revisiones periódicas de la nomenclatura, sugiriendo adecuaciones confiables y válidas a la traducción al idioma vernáculo de los términos anatómicos. En este sentido, revisamos los términos en Terminologia Anatomica Internacional (TAI) de: Tunica mucosa linguae (A05.1.04.011), Tunica serosa (A05.4.01.007), Tunica adventitia (A05.4.01.009), Tunica muscularis (A05.4.01.010), Tunica mucosa (A05.4.01.015) y Tunica mucosa oris (A05.1.01.002); los que, traducidos al español por la Sociedad Anatómica Española (2001) se identifican como: mucosa de la lengua, capa serosa, capa adventicia, capa muscular, capa mucosa y mucosa de la boca, respectivamente; reconociendo, errores etimológicos, en la traducción del término Túnica (en latin: Tunica) por el de Capa (del latín Cappa) o su ausencia. Evidenciado esto, realizamos un análisis de los términos latinos Tunica y Cappa, y su traducción al español, encontrando: inconsistencias en la traducción de los términos, falta de traducción de la palabra Tunica; y, la verificación fundamentada de tales inconsistencias en la etimología de los términos descritos. A la luz de los resultados, basándose en los principios de la TA y el principio de construcción del cuerpo humano de estratificación, sugerimos: cambiar la traducción en TAI para los términos Tunica mucosa linguae, Tunica serosa, Tunica adventitia, y Tunica mucosa oris por: Mucosa linguae, Cappa serosa, Cappa adventitia, Mucosa oris; y, cambiar, la traducción al español de los términos Tunica muscularis y Tunica mucosa hacia Túnica muscular y Túnica mucosa, respectivamente. El uso de términos anatómicos correctos permitirá una mejor comunicación en el ámbito de la docencia y la investigación científica.

SUMMARY: The continuous development of the morphological sciences and the use of their products by various applied sciences has led to the incorporation of modifications into Anatomical Terminology (TA) that tend to interpretations of the names, which are given by principle in Latin as the official language. This situation requires periodic reviews of the nomenclature, suggesting reliable and valid adjustments from the translation into the vernacular language of the anatomical terms. In this sense, we review the terms in International Anatomical Terminology (IAT) of: Tunica mucosa linguae (A05.1.04.011), Tunica serosa (A05.4.01.007), Tunica adventitia (A05.4.01.009), Tunica muscularis ( A05.4.01.010), Tunica mucosa (A05.4.01.015) and Tunica mucosa oris (A05.1.01.002); those that, translated into Spanish by the Spanish Anatomical Society (2001) are identified as: mucosa of the tongue, serosa layer, adventitial layer, muscle layer, mucous layer and mucosa of the mouth, respectively; recognizing, etymological errors, in the translation of the term Tunica (in Latin: Tunica) by Capa (from the Latin Cappa) or its absence. Evidenced this, we made an analysis of the Latin terms Tunica and Cappa, and its translation into Spanish, finding: inconsistencies in the translation of the terms, lack of translation of the word Tunica; and, the substantiated verification of such inconsistencies in the etymology of the described terms. In the light of the results, based on the principles of the TA and the principle of construction of the human body of "stratification", we suggest: change the translation in TAI for the terms Tunica mucosa linguae, Tunica serosa, Tunica adventitia, and Tunica mucosa oris by: Mucosa linguae, Cappa serosa, Cappa adventitia, Mucosa oris, and, change, the translation into Spanish of the terms Tunica muscularis and Tunica mucosa into Muscular Tunic and Tunic Mucosa, respectively.The use of correct anatomical terms will allow better communication in the field of teaching and scientific research.

Loss of philological purity: Hybrid vigor or mongrelism?

Although disparaged by philologists, hybrid words enrich technical and scientific vocabularies. They are common, so, like it or not, they are here to stay. On the other hand, where there are pre-existing purebred compound or affixed words, they should generally be given preference over hybrids. Some adjectives (e.g., laryngeus and sphenoideus) are discussed to illustrate these recommendations. Clin. Anat. 31:771-773, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spanish Translation of the Anatomical Quality Assurance (AQUA) Checklist: new guidelines for reporting in original anatomical studies

Clear reporting of original studies is an integral part of evidence-based principles, which the basic sciences, including anatomy, have only recently begun to adapt to. Evidence-based anatomy (EBA), is a developing field of anatomical research which employs evidence-based methods such as meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and high-quality original studies. However, there is a lack of standardized reporting checklist within anatomical research, and the Anatomical Quality Assurance (AQUA) Checklist was developed to account for this deficit. The AQUA Checklist serves to guide authors in clear reporting of original anatomical studies and is endorsed by the Federative International Committee for Scientific Publications (FICSP). To assure high quality, comprehensive and unambiguous description of methodology and results, the checklist consists of 29 reporting items that should be addressed by authors of original anatomical studies. The AQUA Checklist has been translated into the Spanish language to remove any language barriers and to allow utilization and reproducibility of Spanish anatomical research. Conforming to the reporting items of the AQUA Checklist will help elevate the standards of future original anatomical research and raise the quality of anatomical studies published in Spanish journals

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A plea for an extension of the anatomical nomenclature: The locomotor system.

Anatomical nomenclature is the main tool of communication in morphology, anatomy and other medical disciplines as well as in medical education, and thus needs to be exact, flawless, elaborate and correct. The Terminologia Anatomica (TA) is a thorough and extensive list of anatomical terms and their definitions, and the current standard for human anatomical terminology. Although several revisions to the TA have been made in the last 20 years, some important anatomical structures are still not included. This article is aimed at correcting and extending the anatomical nomenclature described in the TA. We gathered and presented a list of anatomical terms, with their definitions and explanations, to provoke a discussion about correcting and extending the TA. Our list comprises of 96 terms related to the locomotor system of the human body, i.e., the bones, joints, muscles and related structures.