R_Bibb_Medical_Modelling_The_Application_of_Adv.pdf

Introduction 3
Whilst this book is essentially technical in nature it is important to consider
that it also addresses genuine human needs and consequently there is
due consideration for patients and ethics. Therefore, throughout this book,
illustrations and case studies have been made anonymous and where necessary
permission granted.
1.2 The human form
The human body is the most signifi cant physical form that we possess or
encounter. Our physical form is inextricably bound up with our minds and
behaviour. It infl uences but also responds to our lifestyle choices and combined
with our character defi nes us as individuals. Our physical form defi nes
how we appear to others and it affects our perception of ourselves. It displays
our health and fi tness and even our attractiveness to our loved ones.
It enables us to recognise any one individual amongst the six billion fellow
humans with which we share the planet.
In addition to its undeniable importance, our physical form is perhaps
one of the most complex shapes we encounter in life. Its importance to us
makes us sensitive to the tiniest of details and the subtlest of contours. This
complexity combined with our sensitivity to the human form has provided
perhaps the pre-eminent challenge to artists in our history. Through
drawing, painting and sculpture, artists have striven to capture what it is
that makes us human and how that is expressed through our physical form
and appearance.
In terms of medicine, the human body is both subject and object. The
study of the human form is the basis for all medicine as it strives to correct
our malfunctions and degradation. It is from these noble aims that we are
constantly trying to apply the latest in technology to improve our treatment
of all kinds of illness. When such unfortunate things as disease or trauma
damage our physical form, it not only physically debilitates us but also
affects our psychological health. Therefore, the ability to capture and reproduce
human anatomy to the infi nite subtlety that we desire is a pursuit that
is as important as it is challenging.
The age of computer technology has not necessarily eased this process.
The reconstruction and rehabilitation of people can consist of any combination
of dressing, rehabilitation, prosthesis and surgery. Skills employed
range from the artistry of the prosthetist to the engineering of artifi cial
implants. Until recent times the reconstruction and rehabilitation has relied
almost solely on the dexterity and artistry of a small but highly dedicated
range of health professionals. However, in this modern age, the pressures
on these people grow as survival rates increase and surgical interventions
become ever more sophisticated. It is therefore not surprising that medicine
looks towards advanced technologies to provide the effort, time and cost