Leonardo da Vinci: anatomist

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) and his depictions of the human spine

“…Although Leonardo's depictions were far ahead of their time, they were not all anatomically accurate [4,12,16]. This could be attributed in part to Leonardo's views being influenced to some extent by the concepts of his predecessors or a progression in understanding that occurred over time [6,13].…”

“…This could be attributed in part to Leonardo's views being influenced to some extent by the concepts of his predecessors or a progression in understanding that occurred over time [6,13]. His earliest dissection specimens were animals (namely horses, birds, oxen, and bears [12]), from which inferred human anatomy. It is plausible that some of the discrepancies in his earlier depictions are attributable to this.…”

“…Other advances credited to him include accurately describing the heart as a four-chambered muscular structure, in an era when it was dogmatically viewed as two-chambered [4]. He even described the anatomical changes related to the pathophysiologies of arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension [4,12]. His revolutionary approach to depicting anatomical structures presaged the concept of viewing anatomy not just topographically but from multiple angles and in cross-section, revealing deeper structures [4,13].…”

Historical landmarks of the evolution of forensic medicine and comparative development of medico-legal services in Sri Lanka

“…8), Vienna University of Technology today. [19] The autopsies are demonstrated for a fee for medical students ( [20] The rapid development of the technology in postmedieval Europe had strong directives on utilizing medical knowledge for the legal purposes. The basis of the German law known as Constitutio Bambergensis Criminalis ( It became the model for a far more extensive penal code, the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, also known as The Criminal Jurisdiction of Emperor Charles V and the Holy Roman Empire, issued by Charles V in 1532 for all the lands included within his mighty empire.…”

The Italian master Leonardo da Vinci and his early understanding of the brachial plexus

“…His development of this skill allowed him to dissect cadavers, depict their likeness, and take numerous notes on his observations. From his observations, he produced the first accurate depiction of the human spine, created the earliest known description of cirrhosis of the liver and atherosclerosis, and made discoveries about cardiac output and the aortic valve [3]. Being a skilled dissector and a detailed artist with an unquenchably curiosity made da Vinci a brilliant anatomist.…”