There is also an 'International Journal of Anatomical Variations', which has the aim to continue the 'Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation' by Ron Bergman. It is dedicated to human anatomical variation.
The concept of 'normality' in gross anatomy applies firstly to living people. There is a wide range of normality within the human race. Any anomalies that are seen in the dissecting room ought to be first compared to the excellent 'Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation' from the equally excellent Department of Anatomy at the Univeristy of Iowa. I've taken the liberty of giving a link to this resource. http://www.anatomyatlases.org/AnatomicVariants/AnatomyHP.shtml
A variant not listed here ought to be studied carefully and submitted to one of the anatomy journals.
There is also an 'International Journal of Anatomical Variations', which has the aim to continue the 'Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation' by Ron Bergman. It is dedicated to human anatomical variation.
As an enthusiast for modern Anatomy, I am very happy to see that we all agree in consensus with the premise that
«In Anatomy, Normal means Variation».
This was the first phrase with which Emeritus Professor J. A. Esperança Pina, always started his Anatomy courses for Medical Students at the New University of Lisbon, of which he was one of the "founding fathers".
One other premise that I soon learnt from my Master, was that gross anatomical variations are strickly related with accompanying vascular variations. In fact, the underlying moulding of organic embryonic development and growth ultimately depends on the vascular supply of the growing organic tissues.
In this sense, the understanding of anatomical variations depends on the study of the vascular morphology and vascular variations.
We should reffer the monumental work of the Japanese ADACHI, who spent most of his life to the classification of human vascular variations. (1928)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23112208
Thank you agaIn for bringing such an interesting question to debate.
I agree with Maria Bettencourt, in view of the individualities of each person, we must consider that "In Anatomy, the normal is variation . This is very important for the clinical view of health professionals, and draw up plans for more effective interventions.