Osteology Collection (#5)

Long bone interior, artwork C016 / 2886
Long bone interior. Artwork of a cutaway sectioned portion of the upper arm bone (humerus). This is one of the long bones of the skeleton, the ones that carry most of the load in the arms and legs

Knee anatomy, artwork C016 / 2883
Knee flexion anatomy. Artwork of a frontal (anterior) view of the bones and some of the cartilage and ligaments of a flexed knee joint

Knee flexion anatomy, artwork C016 / 2880
Knee flexion anatomy. Artwork of a side (lateral) view of the bones and some of the cartilage and ligaments and tendons of a flexed (left) and extended (right) knee joint

Knee flexion anatomy, artwork C016 / 2881
Knee flexion anatomy. Artwork of a side (lateral) view of the bones and some of the cartilage and ligaments and tendons of a flexed knee joint

Knee flexion anatomy, artwork C016 / 2879
Knee flexion anatomy. Artwork of a frontal (anterior) view of the bones and some of the cartilage and ligaments of an extended (left) and flexed (right) knee joint

Slipped intervertebral disc, artwork C013 / 4663
Slipped intervertebral disc. Computer artwork of a side view of the vertebral column in a case of a slipped (herniated) disc

Outer ankle ligaments, artwork C013 / 4456
Outer ankle ligaments. Computer artwork of the bones and ligaments (white) of the feet and ankles from an oblique side view, with the outer side of the right foot at left

Outer ankle ligaments, artwork C013 / 4455
Outer ankle ligaments. Computer artwork of the bones and ligaments (white) of the feet and ankles from an oblique side view, with the outer side of the left foot at upper centre

Hip ligaments, artwork C013 / 4434
Hip ligaments. Computer artwork of a posterior oblique view of the hip bones and ligaments (white). At upper right the lumbar spine ends in the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone)

Hip ligaments, artwork C013 / 4433
Hip ligaments. Computer artwork of a posterior view of the hip bones and ligaments (white). At centre the lumbar spine ends in the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone)

Hip ligaments, artwork C013 / 4432
Hip ligaments. Computer artwork of an anterior view of the hip bones and ligaments (white). At centre the lumbar spine ends in the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone)

Hip anatomy, artwork C013 / 4430
Hip anatomy. Computer artwork of the head of the left femur (centre right) articulating with the left-hand side of the pelvis to form the hip joint

Bone tissue, SEM C013 / 4768
Bone tissue. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of cancellous (spongy) bone. Bone tissue can be either cortical (compact) or cancellous

Bone tissue, SEM C013 / 4767
Bone tissue. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of cancellous (spongy) bone. Bone tissue can be either cortical (compact) or cancellous

Bone tissue, SEM C013 / 4766
Bone tissue. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of cancellous (spongy) bone. Bone tissue can be either cortical (compact) or cancellous

Cercopithecus mona, mona monkey
Mounted skeleton of a mona monkey

Colobus polykomos, king colobus
Mounted skeleton of a king colobus monkey

Sarcophilus laniarius, Tasmanian devil
Jaw of a Tasmanian devil from the collections at the Natural History Museum

Procyon lotor, common raccoon
The right side of a common raccoon skull specimen, held at the Natural History Museum. Phototgraph published on page 250 of the Dorling Kindersley Nature Encyclopedia, 1998. See also 28779

Artiodactyla (order), artiodactyl
Photograph of various artiodactyls, or even-toed ungulate mammal skeletons, held in the Osteology storeroom at the Natural History Museum, London

Kogia breviceps, pygmy sperm whale
Photograph of the skull of a pygmy sperm whale

Ovis vignei vignei, Ladakh urial
Frontal view of skull with horns of Ovis vignei vignei, a urial wild sheep, from the Ladakh region of India

Monodon monoceros, narwhal
The skull and a selecton of vertebrae specimens of the narwhal whale, held at the Natural History Museum, London

Oryctolagus cuniculus, European rabbit
Photograph of the left side view of a European rabbit skull from the education collection at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Bone resorption. Computer artwork of an osteoclast (green, bone-removing cell) destroying a piece of bone. This process, known as bone resorption

Spine, computer artwork. Human skeleton with a blue spine. The spine, or backbone, supports the back and protects the spinal cord

Skeleton from above, X-ray artwork
Skeleton. Computer X-ray artwork of a human skeleton viewed from above

Human spine. Model of the human backbone or spine. The spine is a flexible column of small compact bones called vertebrae

Bone anatomy. Computer artwork showing the anatomy of a normal bone shaft. An outer layer of compact bone is made up of cylindrical units (osteons, black stripes)

Bone structural unit. Computer artwork of an osteon, the basic structural unit of compact bone. Compact bone is the outer layer of a bone shaft, and contains numerous osteons

Bone strength. Conceptual computer artwork of skeletons lifting weights. This can represent bone strength. Bones are rigid structures built mainly from calcium minerals

Knee replacement, artwork
Knee replacement. Artwork of a profile view of a prosthetic knee joint. The prostheses are implanted into the thigh bone (femur) and shinbone (tibia)

Rickets, light micrograph
Rickets. Light micrograph of a section through bone of a patient with rickets, a softening of the bones. The light orange areas are unmineralised (unhardened) cartilage

Lung infection. Coloured chest X-ray of a patient with sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited blood disorder. SCD has many symptoms including pulmonary complications

Dislocated elbow, X-ray
Dislocated elbow. Coloured lateral X-ray of an injury to the elbow (centre) showing that the upper arm bone (humerus, top right) is misaligned (dislocated, turquoise)

Spondylitis, X-ray
Spondylitis. Coloured X-ray of the lower spine and pelvis of a patient with spondylitis, an inflammation of the synovial joints of the backbone

Fractured atlas vertebra, 3D CT scan
Fractured atlas vertebra, coloured 3D CT (computed tomography) scan. Posterior view of a fractured atlas vertebra (break at upper centre) of a 34 year old man. Part of the skull can be seen at top

Kneecap fracture, X-ray
Kneecap fracture. Coloured X-ray of a broken kneecap (patella), as viewed from the side with the knee bent. The kneecap (far left, centre) is a disc of bone that covers the front of the knee joint

Pinned ankle fracture, coloured X-ray
Pinned ankle fracture. Coloured X-ray of the ankle bones of a patient with a pinned ankle fracture. The malleolus (bony projection at the end of a bone) of the fibula (right)

Thalassaemia, X-ray
Thalassaemia. Coloured hand X-ray of a patient with thalassaemia, also known as Cooleys anaemia. The bones of the hand show demineralization (lighter patches)

Potts disease. Coloured X-ray of the spine of a patient with Potts disease, or tuberculosis (TB) of the spine. The vertebrae (brown blocks) have become compacted and inflamed (red, yellow)

Healthy skull, coloured X-ray
Healthy human skull. Side view X-ray showing the skull and the outline of the head (black). The bones of the cranium are fused together to form a complete structure that protects the brain

Human backbone, artwork
Human backbone, skull and pelvis. Computer artwork of the spine (the backbone or spinal column), seen from an oblique sideways angle, with the front of the spine at left, the skull at top

Bone trabeculae, artwork. The trabeculae are the bars of bone forming a honeycombed hollow network. This is the structure of spongy bone, the inner layer of a bone

Bone growth, light micrograph
Bone growth. Light micrograph of actively growing cells in the epiphyseal plate (growth plate) between the diaphysis (shaft) and epiphysis (rounded end) of a long bone

Osteoblasts, TEM
Osteoblasts. Coloured transmission electron micrograph of osteoblasts, bone-producing cells (pink). They contain rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER, dark pink lines), which produces

Bone trabeculae. Computer artwork of trabeculae in spongy bone, represented as metal to illustrate its strength. Spongy bone is found inside bones, below a dense shell of hard compact bone

Back deformities, historical anatomical artwork. These patients all have spinal deformities leading to abnormal curvatures of the back

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Osteology, the fascinating study of bones and skeletal structures, unveils a world of intricate details and medical advancements. From total hip replacements to X-ray imaging, this field has revolutionized the way we understand and treat bone-related conditions. In the realm of orthopedics, total hip replacement surgeries have become a game-changer for those suffering from debilitating joint pain. With cutting-edge techniques and prosthetic materials, these procedures restore mobility and improve quality of life. Delving into history, Calots spinal surgery in the 19th century stands as a testament to human resilience. Despite limited resources and knowledge at that time, surgeons courageously ventured into complex spinal operations with remarkable outcomes. Artwork captures both the beauty and vulnerability of our skeletal system. A damaged knee ligament depicted in brushstrokes reminds us of how delicate our bodies can be. Meanwhile, a running skeleton portrayed through art showcases strength and agility even in its bare form. X-ray artwork takes us beneath the surface to reveal hidden stories within our bones. Skeletons captured by this technique offer an ethereal glimpse into their structure while evoking curiosity about their past lives. An X-ray artwork showcasing a skeleton from below adds another dimension to our understanding of anatomy. It invites contemplation on how every angle tells a different story about our body's framework. Sometimes even mundane ailments find artistic expression through X-rays. A headache immortalized as an artwork serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor discomforts can leave traces within us. Fractured ankle X-rays remind us that bones are not invincible; they can break under pressure or unfortunate circumstances. Yet with modern medicine's intervention, healing is possible once again. Microscopic exploration reveals wonders too small for the naked eye to behold. Compact bone viewed under light micrograph exposes its intricate structure like never before – reminding us that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to osteology.