Speaker: Professor Peter H Abrahams, Visiting Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Prof “Emeritus” Clinical Anatomy, Warwick Medical School, Life Fellow-Girton College, Cambridge & Professor, St. George’s University

This lecture is not only about football and about how not to play it, but is a wide-ranging lecture on the development and physical anthropology of the hand which led to humans’ command of music, computers and art. The lecture covers detailed surgical anatomy of the hand but also puts it into an artistic perspective from Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer and Michelangelo, through to Mariotti’s painted hands. Various ideas on the hand as “eyes” and the changing perspective throughout the ages from the 35,000-year-old Chauvet cave paintings to finger prints for forensics will all be discussed. The final section wil be some challenging case presentations in clinical medicine related to hand injuries and physical signs in medicine. Whether you are a medical student, orthopaedic surgeon or consultant in medicine, this lecture promises to challenge your medical and artist knowledge to the full!