Human anatomy is the foundation upon which the education of our medical, dental, and allied
health science students is built. However, today’s biomedical science curriculum must cover an
ever-increasing body of scientifi c knowledge, often in fewer hours, as competing disciplines and
new technologies emerge. Many of these same technologies, especially those in the imaging science
fi elds, have made understanding the anatomy even more important and have moved the discipline
into the realm of clinical medicine. It is fair to say that competent clinicians and allied health
professionals can no longer simply view their anatomical training in isolation from the clinical
implications related to that anatomy.
In this context, I am proud to introduce the second edition of Netter’s Clinical Anatomy. Generations
of students have used Dr. Frank H. Netter’s elegant anatomical illustrations to learn
anatomy, and this book combines his beautiful anatomical and embryological renderings with
numerous clinical illustrations to help students bridge the gap between normal anatomy and its