Nerve Surgeons’ Assessment of the Role of Eduard Pernkopf ’s Atlas of Topographic and Applied Human Anatomy in Surgical Practice

Pernkopf's Atlas of Anatomy contains anatomical plates with detailed images of the peripheral nerves. Its use is controversial due to the author's association with the "Third Reich" and the potential depiction of victims of the Holocaust. The ethical implications of using this atlas for informing surgical planning have not been assessed. Our objectives were: (1) assess the role of Pernkopf's atlas in nerve surgeons' current practice, and (2) determine whether a proposal for its ethical handling may provide possible guidance for use in surgery and surgical education. Published in NEUROSURGERY, Volume 84, Number 2, February 2019Presented at the American Society of Peripheral Nerve, 27th Annual Meeting,Phoenix, Arizona, January 12-14, 2018.Copyright ©2018 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, republished in the JBC Special Issue with permission. Image credit: Table of Contents image provided by the Medical University of Vienna, MUW-AD-003250-5-ABB-376