Sophomore Seminars

Surgical Anatomy of the Hand: From Rodin to Reconstruction

SURG 70Q

The surgical anatomy of the hand is extremely complex in terms of structure and function. This course will explore the anatomy of the hand in several different contexts: its representation in art forms, the historical development of the study of hand anatomy, current operative techniques for reconstruction, advances in tissue engineering, and the future of hand transplantation. We will trace investigations into the anatomy of the hand over the centuries. We will visit the Rodin collection of hand sculptures at the Cantor Arts Center, do anatomic dissections on a cadaver upper extremity, hear lectures on hand reconstruction, discuss tissue engineering research, and get tutorials inside the operating room to observe actual hand reconstruction procedures.

Meet the Instructor(s)

James Chang, MD

"My name is James Chang, and I am currently the Johnson & Johnson Distinguished Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) & Orthopedic Surgery and Chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford. I attended Stanford as an undergraduate, receiving a B.A.S. in Biology and Economics. I then spent a year as a lecturer in English at the Beijing University of Science and Technology. For my medical specialization, I graduated from the Yale University School of Medicine and then completed a Plastic Surgery Residency at Stanford, followed by advanced hand surgery training at UCLA.

"My research interests include scarless flexor tendon wound healing and tissue-engineered flexor tendon grafts for hand reconstruction. I have trained 20+ years of plastic surgery residents and hand fellows in the field of hand and microsurgery. I am very interested in the intersection of art, anatomy, and surgery. The Rodin collection at Stanford is a truly unique resource for studying and appreciating this intersection. This seminar was the subject of an art exhibit at the Cantor Arts Center in 2014."
Learn more about James Chang, MD