It is likely that when most laypeople are confronted with the term “medical illustration,” the image that comes to mind is that of an illustration of human anatomy. After all, if one considers Leonardo Da Vinci to be the “godfather” of medical illustration, then his incredible pen and ink drawings of human cadavers comes to mind. In the pre-science era, human anatomy was the sole subject of medical illustration, though the accuracy of some endeavors, including a few of Da Vinci’s, remains questionable. 

Human anatomy is well understood by anatomists and surgeons of the twenty-first century, but attempts to document anatomy via pictures has been met with mixed results. Anatomy is incredibly complex, and can vary significantly from individual to individual. Most illustrations thus attempt to show “average” anatomy, ignoring differences in physical stature, ethnicity, health and age that are inherent in the human race. Additionally it is well known that mistakes in anatomic illustrations can often be repeated as medical illustrators rely on the work of others for reference. 

The bottom line is that there is no such thing as the perfect anatomic illustration and that all should be viewed with a critical eye. Even those that are praised as most accurate are at best a compromise.