Standard anatomical position Standard anatomical position is rigidly defined for human anatomy. In standard anatomical position, the human body is standing erect and at rest. Unlike the situation in other vertebrates, the limbs are placed in positions reminiscent of the supine position imposed on cadavers during autopsy. Therefore, the body has its feet together (or slightly separated), and its arms are rotated outward so that the palms are forward, and the thumbs are pointed away from the body (forearms supine). As well, the arms are usually moved slightly out from the body, so that the hands do not touch the sides. The positions
Anatomical theatre of the Archiginnasio are the work of the well-known artist of anatomical wax displays, Ercole Lelli. The statues carry the canopy, surmounting the teacher’s chair, and topped by the allegorical image of Anatomy. In the centre of the theatre stands the white table on which the dissection of human or animal bodies took place. The theatre was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, by an air raid on January 29, 1944. After the war the Theatre was rebuilt with exemplary philological rigour, using all of the original pieces recovered among the rubble of the building. Other anatomical theaters were found in