Netter’s Photographic Anatomy Companion, 1st Edition

By: Marios Loukas & Shane R. Tubbs

ISBN: 9780323825405

Publication Date: October 30, 2024

Reviewer: Brian MacPherson, PhD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)

Description

This is a comparative atlas using the highly acclaimed Netter dissection plates to compare with an actual dissection done to illustrate the accuracy of the Netter image. The claim that it will help students prepare for what they will see in the lab is particularly relevant to those using prosection-based labs where the completed prosection lies in front of the student ready for study. This format has become much more common due to reduced curricular time for dissection and the availability of plastinated prosections that once acquired represent a long useful lifespan in the lab.

Purpose

The book’s purpose is to help students prepare for lab in as much as the artwork and dissections actually complement one another. This is particularly true with professional dissections and prosections over student-dissected cadavers. However, the premise is a good one and the book meets this objective.

Audience

The book will be useful in any number of gross anatomy courses whether they are prosection- or dissection-based, and many are now a combination of these. The dissections are expert and closely represent the Netter image, which is not always the outcome in a lab with numerous student-dissected cadavers. However, the variation is exhibited very clearly in these latter examples. The authors are highly proficient in the discipline. The book will be a beneficial companion to a typical image-based atlas.

Features

Like dissection-based lab courses, the book’s organization is based on regions. The book presents the images at similar magnifications which makes the identification of smaller structures easier. The index is extremely useful for students looking for an image of a structure or region. In addition, there is a useful appendix of non-colorized dissections (like you would see in the lab) to help identify structures. It is important to note that unlike other dissection-based atlases the book has reduced the number of leader lines on each image making them more user-friendly for students rather than overpowering
them.

Assessment

This is a unique presentation of comparison between anatomy atlas art and the similarly dissected cadaver. The artwork is Netter’s, but the dissections are clean and clearly make the comparison stand out. Overall, the quality of the book is exceptional and will give  prosection-based programs, in particular, a really useful and powerful tool to enhance student learning.

©Doody’s Review Service, 2025, Brian MacPherson, PhD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine), Doody’s Score: 90 – 4 Stars!

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