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The Latin word [femur] means "thigh". the femur is the bone of the thigh, and this is why the anatomical region of the thigh is known as the "femoral region".

The femur is a long bone and has several anatomical characteristics such as a head (which articulates with the pelvic bone), a neck, a small and a large trochanter, and two condyles for articulation with the tibia at the knee joint.

For a detailed description of the anatomy of the femur, click here. Click on the image for a larger view.

Links courtesy ofbartleby.com
Original image modified from Andrea Vesalius' "De Humani Corporis Fabrica, Libri Septem"

The definition of a geometrical plane is "a surface defined by a minimum of three points". By definition, a plane is imaginary. The [median plane] is "a vertical plane that divides the human body standing in the anatomical position in two halves, left and right, that are equal in size" (although not in content).

The term "midline" is a bit of a misnomer, as this is a plane and not a line, although if you look at the median plane from the anterior or posterior aspect of an individual in the anatomical position, you would have a line, ergo, midline!

To visualize the above statement, click on this "anatomical position" link and hover your mouse over the image. The midline will appear.

Another term that can be used synonymously with [midline] or [median plane] is that of "midsagittal plane". Any plane that is parallel to the midsagittal plane (therefore not on the median plane) can be called either "sagittal" or "parasagittal".

Since planes are imaginary, the only way to make them real is to cut, section, or image following a plane, this is called a "plane of section"

Image property of: CAA.Inc. Artist: Victoria G. Ratcliffe

This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.

Antonio Scarpa

Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832). An Italian physician and anatomist, Antonio Scarpa is probably most remembered by the many human anatomy eponymic structures named after him, like "Scarpa's Fascia". Arising from humble origins, a very young Scarpa started medical studies at the University of Padua and obtained his doctorate at 18 years of age.

In 1772 he published a detailed anatomical study of the middle and internal ear, and later continued with animal comparative studies, surgical studies, and discoveries such as the innervation of the heart, and introduced the concept of arteriosclerosis. He left behind a solid group of books and publications

Known for his aggressive personality, Scarpa is said to have had more enemies than friends. After his death, his head was preserved and is still on display today at the History Museum of the University of Pavia, in Italy. Click here for a YouTube video depicting Scarpa's life and his head on display (Italian)

Antonio Scarpa was one of the first to describe the cochlea, one of the components of the inner ear

Originall image courtesy of Maurir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common

The suffix [-(o)lithiasis] is a compound suffix with the Greek root [-lith-] meaning "stone" and the suffix [-iasis] meaning "condition, pathology, or disease". [-(o)lithiasis] then means the "condition or presence of stones".

This suffix can be found in many medical terms such as:

• Choledocolithiasis: a condition of stones in the bile duct
• Nephrolithiasis: Kidney stones
• Cholelithiasis: Gall or bile stones. This term does not indicate specific stone location
• Cholecystolithiasis: Stones in the gallbladder
• Cystolithiasis: Bladder stones
• Choledocholithiasis: Stones in the common bile duct

Can you find the meaning of the word dacryocystolithiasis?

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The sternum is a median bone that, with the anterior portion of the ribs, forms the anterior boundary of the bony thorax.

The term [sternum] comes from the Greek, meaning "flat chest or flat surface". In early anatomy, the sternum was known by a Latin term [gladius] referring to the similarity of the sternum to the short sword of the gladiators.

The sternum is composed by three segments, from superior to inferior they are the:

• Manubrium: This is Latin for "handle" (of the sword)
• Body: This segment is formed by four separate bones that fuse together later in life. Each separate bony component of the sternal body is known as a "sternabra" (plural: sternabrae)
• Xiphoid appendix: The term [xiphoid] is Greek and means "similar to a straight sword", but it refers only to the lowest portion of the sternum. Sometimes called the [xiphisternum], the xiphoid appendage or process is cartilaginous and is the last cartilage to ossify in the human.

The boundary between the manubrium and sternal body is known as the "sternal angle" or the "angle of Louis" named after Antoine Louis, a French physician. Click on the image of the thorax to see a detailed image of the sternum.

Images property of: CAA.Inc.. Artist: David M. Klein

This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.

Henri Fruchaud

Dr. Henri Rene Fruchaud (1894-1960) was born in 1894 in Angers, the capital of the French province of Anjou. He started his medical studies in Anjou and continued them later in Paris. He was active in both WWI and WWII, earning several medals for bravery. He published a large number of articles in diverse surgical fields. 

An anatomist and a surgeon, Fruchaud is best known for his work in the field of Hernia Surgery by two of his books published in 1956: "L'Anatomie chirurgicale de la r?gion de l'aine" (Surgical anatomy of the groin region), and "Le traitement chirurgical des hernies de l'aine" (Surgical Treatment of Groin Hernias). He described the presence of a weak area in the pelvic region that he calls the "Myopectineal Orifice" or MPO. He states in his book: "It may be said that a healthy man is, unknown to himself, a hernia bearer". The MPO concept has become of importance after the advent of the laparoscopic repair of inguinofemoral hernias.

He is one of the members of the French Order of the Liberation, where you can read his biography in French.

Original imageof Dr. Henri Fruchaud courtesy of theFrench Order of the Liberation Museum.
Source: "Henri Fruchaud (1894–1960): A man of bravery, an anatomist a surgeon" Stoppa,R and Wantz,G.  Hernia 1998,Vol 2,(1) 45 - 47