ANATOMY: Sheets B

Anatomical studies of the nerves and musculature of the human leg.

A detailed anatomical study of the human leg from the posterior view. It illustrates the sciatic nerve and its branching into the lower leg. The drawing demonstrates Leonardo's method of dissecting the body into mechanical components to understand their functional roles.

This dissection study of the thigh focuses on the path of the major nerves. The muscular tissue is rendered with linear hatching to emphasize the direction of force. This aligns with Leonardo's notes on muscle mechanics along the femur.

A focused study of the nerve fibers and their convergence. Leonardo compares these to the rigging cords of a ship. This illustrates his use of mechanical analogies to explain biological function and his observations of nerve bundle insertion points.

similar to a bundle of cords
which, starting from a bundle, go
pulling towards their origins, which, joined
together, form the muscle of the thigh;
and the function of this muscle is to pull the bone to itself.

Leonardo compares the structure of muscles and nerves to a bundle of cords that together pull upon the bone.

All these cords that are placed between the joints
perform the function of the ligaments or the cords that are
placed on ships to support the masts and the yardarms,
so that they do not fall in any direction because of the winds.

Leonardo draws an analogy between the tendons or ligaments of the joints and the rigging of a ship, such as stays and shrouds, used to stabilize the masts and yardarms against the wind.

nerbo (nerve/sinew: Leonardo often used this term to describe both nerves and tendons), coscia (thigh), muscolo (muscle), chorde (cords: referring here to tendons or muscle fibers), legami (ligaments/bindings), navili (ships), antenne (yardarms: the horizontal poles on a mast), giunture (joints)