In their biological taxonomy and status as “higher-level mammal—homo sapiens,” humans owe their distinction from primates to the miraculous structure of the hand. With its 19 degrees of freedom and its opposing thumb, the hand is a highly developed and complex grasping organ. This enables a wide range of movement combinations while simultaneously allowing adaptation of force, speed, and facileness. Moreover, the hand also features a highly specific sensory and tactile organ that human beings use to perceive and assess themselves and their surroundings. Owing to its capacity for making gestures, the hand plays an important role in interpersonal communication. In writing, music, and the visual arts, the hand acts as a means of expression for the human mind.229 These gross and fine motor skills, along with sensory capacities, enable humans to take care of and nourish their bodies, as well as communicate and shape their environment. With all these possibilities, the hand also plays a major role in self-expression and in developing the human mind, and significantly contributes to modifying human motor capacities.202 The mobilizing of this functionality requires exceptional interaction between the central control system and anatomical structures such as bones and joints, muscles and tendons, nerves and blood vessels, making the hand an extremely complex organ. The distal area of the lower arm consists of the distal radioulnar joint, the thumb and finger carpometacarpal (CMC) joints, the palm, and the fingers. In total, there are 27 bones with 36 articulations and 39 active muscles. In order for the hand to translate its wide range of fine and gross motor capabilities into its complex range of motion, these structures must all be coordinated.

The pelvis, both in the female and male forms, proves to be one of the most complex anatomic and physiologic regions within the human body. Nowhere else in the body can one fnd the multitude of muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, blood vessels, organs and physiological functions tightly knit into such a compact structure (Fig. 1.1). The pelvis is responsible for biped ambulation and support of the spinal column, sexuality, reproduction, storage and elimination of urinary and fecal waste, and indeed represents the human body’s foundation for both form and function. A thorough and proper understanding of all of these structures and functions and how they integrate into one seamless anatomic box is of paramount importance for the surgeon operating within the pelvis. In order to be successful, the surgeon who operates within the pelvis must be disciplined and prepared, as along with its complexity, comes a great deal of risk. Often times it is resourcefulness and creativity that allows successful surgical operations here, and this can only be made possible with an appropriate fund of knowledge. Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the pelvis is its remarkable dynamic nature. From its embryological origins, through its fetal and adolescent development and into its adult maturation and fnally senescent changes in older age, it truly embodies the point that the only thing that is constant is change. In addition to its evolution along the broader span of one’s life span, it has only recently been truly recognized for its dynamic nature in daily activities.