Product Description

This text provides the reader with a visual understanding of the mechanics of the joints. Concise commentaries are combined with clear and simple full colour drawings and diagrams.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #190538 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
Dr. Adalbert I. Kapandji needs no introduction, he is internationally recognized among orthopaedic surgeons and physical/manual therapists. After a long career as an orthopaedic surgeon, member of several international societies, he is now devoting himself fully to the new edition of the three volumes of his work The Physiology of the Joints, already published in eleven languages. As in previous editions Dr. Kapandji has drawn all the diagrams in colour

Customer Reviews

A new look at an old subject.....
I remember buying the very first edition of this book, now in its sixth reprint. Normally anatomy students had the standard texts to choose from, including Gray's, Last's, Basmajian's or Cunningham's Anatomy and other books written in the traditional style. Then came Kapandji offering students an entirely new way of learning and appreciating the subject. What's more in the forward of earlier editions of the book it states its aim to appeal to `orthopaedists, physiotherapists, medical students, osteopaths...even musicians and top level athletes' (my italics).

Why not include dancers and sculptors as well, such is the transformation in the visual presentation of the subject? Open the pages and look at the sheer size of the drawings. The traditional portrayal was a like a Rembrandt portrait, whereas Kapandji's view on biomechanics was like a Virginia O'Keefe.

For those unfamiliar with the early format of his book, it consists of over 500 original drawings by the author, a former surgeon. He illustrates much of the subject with three dimensional section views and line drawings. The intention of these drawings is not just to show the general composition and anatomy of the various sections of the human body, but to try to teach the way these parts inter-relate biomechanically as part of a composite whole.

An example of the importance the author places in function over form is clearly illustrated in the description of the occulomotor muscles and their effect on the orbit. The diagrams using both arrows and a three dimensional view of the parts helps the reader grasp the intricacies of facial expression. He even uses a reference to a painting by Greuze housed in the Louvre to ensure that the text can appeal to all interested in discovering the fascinating subject of human anatomy, and not exclusively medics.

The author forgoes the detail found in the traditional anatomy textbook but instead emphasises the scope for movement within the tissues. Many of the illustrations use exploded sections to good effect, rather like an engineer produces a line drawing to relate the object under design. Arrows are used to indicate the range of movement of the spine, pelvis or soft tissues being studied, with the key anatomical details being highlighted for the purposes in the accompanying text.

This unique volume is not attempting to replace the conventional anatomy textbook. There is not sufficient detail within its pages to cover standard medical examinations which doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors or physiotherapists are likely to face during their training. It however introduces the subject of body mechanics and functionality in an innovatory way. The recent addition of colour to the diagrams assists in ensuring that the text will be understood in the context of how the living body works rather than what it looks like under examination on the dissection table.

Physiology of the Joints
brilliant - excellent illustrations; very readable especially as an introduction to physiology of the joints;

suggestion for improvement: add a key with labels at the bottom of illustrations as this would give an instant overview of the details on the illustration; it is tedious to have to read the whole text fo find out what a particular number or letter refers to in the illustration.

clear and unique
As a teacher of basic musculoskeletal anatomy, I am constantly surprised by the piss-poor quality of the slew of anatomy books which are sent to me by the major publishers. In contrast, this book (which I payed for myself!) is excellent. The author has made a succesful effort to convey the mechanical principles in operation around each joint.