Netter’s Integrated Musculoskeletal System, 1st Edition
By: Peter J. Ward, PhD
ISBN: 9780323696616
Pub Date: August 20, 2021
Reviewed By: Brian R. MacPherson, PhD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
Description
This is an integrated approach to the musculoskeletal system. Since most medical schools have moved to integrated curricula, it makes the book a unique product at the appropriate time in educational pedagogy. The neuroanatomy and embryology, as well as dysfunction, are all covered for this system. The website is integral with videos explaining concepts with simplified drawings and demonstrations – exceptional!
Purpose
The book is meant to present integrated coverage of the musculoskeletal system found in current medical school curricula but for which appropriate textbooks are scarce. The website has videos and other media sources that clarify difficult, as well as less difficult, concepts in the system. It is integral to the intended nature of this book: “Clinical Anatomy Explained.” Watching one of the videos will quickly help students lost by a substandard PowerPoint presentation to get immediately up to speed. A single, simplified illustration is worth 10,000 words and a clarifying video, showing movements, dysfunction, and clinical presentation – even more.
Audience
The author states the book was clearly written for allied health students (medical, chiropractic, PA, PT). It could be a valuable resource for beginning residents and interns. The author has a long history of teaching osteopathic and allopathic medical students, making the presentation of the materials cross-indexed and supplementing what one group of students may have typically missed in their curriculum.
Features
Taking the regional approach of the musculocutaneous system seen in older curricula and devolving it into a series of chapters that look at the various components common to each muscle compartments is a unique approach that is valuable in an integrated curriculum. The histology, physiology, biochemistry, embryology, and role of the central and peripheral nervous systems are all rolled into this integrated approach with an invaluable clinical anatomy chapter for each region, as this is the way it will present in the clinic. The only downside is that large Netter diagrams (on which this book is based) can often become less useful when reduced in size, with all the leader lines common to these artistic renditions.
Assessment
There really are no, or extremely few, good integrated textbooks. Most schools do not recommend textbooks any more as integrated curricula defy taking a textbook from each area and clipping only the regions required. This is why PowerPoint notes now form the basis of medical education – the faculty members do the job of chunking out these sections – not always flowing from one lecture to another. This textbook does this smoothly as well as explains (as the title says) concepts using simplified diagrams/videos.
©Doody’s Review Service, 2022, Brian R. MacPherson, PhD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
Doody’s Score: 4 Stars!
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Gray’s Anatomy Review, 3rd Edition
By: Marios Loukas, MD; R. Shane Tubbs, MS; Peter H. Abrahams, MBBS; Stephen W. Carmichael, PhD; Thomas Gest, PhD
ISBN: 9780323639163
Pub Date: April 26, 2021
Reviewed By: Brian R. MacPherson, PhD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
Description
This is a textbook with 482+ pages of questions based on the LCME formulaic format covering all regions of the human body. Many of these questions are distilled from other Elsevier anatomy textbooks for their importance in clinical anatomical relationships. The website contains the value of this publication with an interactive assessment format of the questions. This is the third edition.
Purpose
The purpose is to assist students in sorting the clinically important anatomy from the tomes of notes they took in medical school. This is done not by outlining these gems of knowledge but through incorporation into LCME-formatted questions. The book meets this objective, though if you accessed any of the three other commonly used Elsevier textbooks listed in the preface or referenced in the questions, you would have seen these questions before. This book has them all in one place. The interactive assessment formatted version of these questions online is the best source for student learning.
Audience
The book is primarily for students preparing for the LCME exam or any other exam that includes clinically related anatomy in health-related fields. The interactive assessment version of the questions in the online portion is the best source of student learning. All the authors are high-profile clinical anatomists with numerous publications in the field.
Features
The title alone of this textbook does not clearly outline what is contained within. One might expect a point-form coverage of each anatomical region outlining clinically relevant anatomy. What you get is a voluminous set of questions which cover the clinically important facts of each body region. Many students learn by taking and retaking quizzes, so this book is the perfect format for them.
Assessment
The online, downloadable, interactive assessment portion of this book is hugely beneficial to learners. As such, the book definitely does fulfill its objective(s) of helping sort out the clinically relevant anatomy of each body region. The preface and back cover outline the overall features succinctly and also indicate the addition of a new neuroanatomy chapter and enhanced ebook version in this third edition.
©Doody’s Review Service, 2022, Brian R. MacPherson, PhD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
Doody’s Score: 4 Stars!
Fitzgerald’s Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neuroscience, 8th Edition
By Estomih Mtui, MD, Gregory Gruener, MD, MBA and Peter Dockery, BSc, PhD
ISBN: 9780702079092
Pub Date: December 4th, 2020
Reviewed By: Lesley Knight Gilmer, Ph.D. Neurotrauma Research U.K (University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine)
Description
This book covers clinically relevant topics surrounding neuroanatomy and neuroscience. It attempts to have a clear, concise, and stripped-down explanation of all major topics covered in a typical medical-level neuroanatomy/neuroscience course and for the vast majority of topics succeeds at this goal. The chapters stay out of the “weeds” and lay out a clear, readable explanation of topics. The shorter chapters decrease the neurophobia students may experience tackling lengthy chapters presented in some textbooks. The student resources with cases and multiple-choice questions are better than I have previously seen elsewhere. This is a now a contender for my upcoming neuroanatomy courses due to the layout, topics covered, images, and resources for students and educators. It is a great textbook. The seventh edition was completed in 2016.
Purpose
The book’s purpose for a new edition is to increase readability and relevance while tackling some specific alterations to certain topics throughout the textbook. I looked for specific challenging concepts throughout the book and I did find the reading of that material clear and concise. Ascending and descending tracts are easy to follow looking at the diagrams. The brainstem is extremely nice to look at the cross sections in color – this chapter is wonderful. I thought the basal ganglia was clear to read with nice diagrams. I would have liked to see the circuit diagrams for spinocerebellar, cerebrocerebellar, and vestibulocerebellar tracts. The visual system was well laid out in terms of information and diagrams. The online and print format of the book is a great option to pick and choose, which suits your needs better. The questions are a very strong selling point for students. It would be nice to have them broken up by chapters or topics. I didn’t see a way to search for topic-based questions. The book and website meet the objectives.
Audience
I believe the book is written for students first and residents second as a review to transition into the clinic. It is not intended for clinicians but could be used as a resource by clinicians guiding medical students and residents. There is something for all three groups based on the authors’ and my opinion. The book does meet the needs of its intended audience and the authors are credible authorities on the subject. They are recognized experts based on credentials and publications.
Features
The book uses short titles for clear, definable learning objectives. This shortens the chapters’ scope so readers can begin assembling the necessary building blocks for a broad neuroscience and neuroanatomy background. The cases are a great learning tool to make sure readers are capturing the broader picture and able to translate basic neuroscience and neuroanatomy into clinical understanding and reasoning. The pictures are simple, well labeled, and not too busy on trying to name countless structures. Clinical panels help with applying the knowledge along the way while building a foundation. I was able to find useful features in both the online version of the book as well as the print version. I liked the Core Information boxes for short, concise take-home messages at the ends of the chapters. I did not find any glaring gaps in content. I liked the color coordination of the tracts and labeled nuclei, but would have like to see these labeled on a human section or at least a side-by-side comparison so students can practice identification of imaging or in the laboratory. Here, the labeling is nice but overwhelming. Regarding the trigeminal nerve – I wouldn’t group both fine touch and the trigeminothalamic tract together as the trigeminal lemniscus. I would call the combined tracts as the trigeminothalamic tract perhaps, but don’t agree with how it is currently labeled (p. 236). Regarding spinocerebellar tracts and vestibulocerebellar tracts in chapter 27 – only cerebrocerebellar was depicted (p. 289).
Assessment
The diagrams are straightforward and easy to understand, but some diagrams need a more realistic feel, especially the brainstem and spinal cord sections. The field is tough, competing with the books by Blumenfeld, Nolte, and Haines, as well as Mayo Clinic Medical Neurosciences: Organized by Neurologic System and Level, 6th edition, Benarroch et al. (Oxford University Press, 2017). I like this text as a resource if students need a readable textbook, but with the lack of human sections, complete circuit diagrams for cranial nerves, central processing and peripheral, and three main cerebellar pathways, it would be hard to use over some other options. The cases are a great feature, but again, I would use patient imaging or human sections in any clinical case and explain those images with the drawn depictions. I have not used or reviewed previous editions.
© Doody’s Review Service, 2021, Lesley Knight Gilmer, Ph.D. Neurotrauma Research U.K (University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine) Review Score: 94-4 Stars!
Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, 5th Edition
By Duane E. Haines, PhD, FAAAS, FAAA
ISBN: 9780323396325
Pub Date: 13 Oct 2017
Reviewed by: Eduardo A De Sousa, MD, FAAN (Mercy NeuroScience Institute)
Description
This is the fifth edition of a classic book in neuroscience and an important update of the 2013 edition. The authors lead a team of 19 contributors who write with authority to detail important concepts and novel information in neuroscience. This is not a quick read, as it is a comprehensive reference, but it is well organized and the main concepts are highlighted in light blue. This edition includes an online companion website with access to a portable version through the Inkling app.
Purpose
The purpose is to bridge neuroanatomy and neurophysiology with clinical neuroscience. This is a major update from the prior edition, with new discoveries in basic neuroscience and novel correlations with clinical neurology and neurosurgery.
Audience
The main audience is medical students looking for a comprehensive neuroscience book with an introduction to clinical concepts and correlations. It is also a great reference for neuroscience faculty, neurology and neurosurgery trainees, and practicing physicians.
Features
Covering basic neuroscience concepts, this book explains how neuroanatomy and neurophysiology correlate in clinical scenarios. It provides broad coverage with detailed information on this massive topic. The book is organized into three sections — essential concepts, regional neurobiology, and systems neurobiology. References for additional reading are not in the print book, but instead available at the website.
Assessment
This is one of the best neuroscience books available, probably one of the three best currently. It also has online resources available for free and easily accessible from a smart phone or personal computer. It is highly recommended.
Doody’s Review Service Weighted Numerical Score: 97 – 5 Stars!
