Pocket Body (Musculoskeletal) by Pocket Body
$19.99

Overall impression: Amazing Interface, Comprehensive for Muscles, Good Organization 4.5 out of 5 Stars

What I Liked:
1) The layering is a great feature of this app. You can add or remove layers of muscle QUICKLY.  One layer for skin, six layers for muscles, one for joints and ligaments, and one for skeletal. I particularly thought it was creative to have a translucent/transparent skin layer because as physicians and medical students we look at the skin but need to know whats underneath it.

2) The rotational ability is key, I like being able to view the body from anterior, lateral (right and left) and posterior. (And to remove layers from each view)

3) Organization: All the anatomy apps have the blue dots with information. BUt with Pocket Anatomy you can click on a muscle and it will give you origin, insertion, key relations, functions ( actions), nerve and blood supply, and clinical perspectives, plus a notes section so that you can write in additional notes. Awesome design and lay out. Even better, in the updated version you can add pins to really customize it.

4) The search function. It not only searches the beginning of the first word, but also if the word you are typing is in any other words. For example: I typed in “trap”, Obviously, “trapezoid” came up, but what positively surprised me was that “Coracoclavicular-trapezoid ligament” also came up.  Furthermore it refines the search as you type in more letters.  A+ on search function, which is key for anatomy students.

5) User Interface: This is really what separates this app from the rest. Easy and high resolution zooming and movement. A convenient body map in the tool bar to quickly go where you want. Navigating the body couldn’t be easier. Of all the anatomy apps I’ve seen this is definitely one of the best.

What I didn’t like:
1)  With regard to the skin layer, the pins (to click on and get information) are not accessible. This is an easy change, just make the same pins in the first layer accessible in the skin layer.

2) There are many red dots that don’t have any info associated with them. Hopefully this will change. Also there are some places that pins need to be and are missing, for example the linea alba inbetween the rectus abdominis doesn’t have a pin. Considering this is where surgeons sometimes cut in the abdomen during surgery due to lack of underlying innervation, I think this is important. What is irritating, is that in the “key relations” for rectus abdominis it mentions the linea alba but doesn’t have a pin for it. IMHO, you shouldn’t mention something that is a key relation unless you are going to pin it, otherwise the students will be confused. However with the new version you can just add a pin and the problem is solved.
4) In the lateral view, the arms cover many of the AB/AD ductors of the hip. Must be changed, if you want this to be a 100% comprehensive app. Most other anatomy apps have this problem as well.

What I’d like to see in future editions:
1) Videos of the muscle motions with the body. For example, when a symbol shows extension, you should be able to click on it and it should show you the extension.

2)  In the descriptions of the muscles, you should be able to click on any word and that muscle will quickly pop up. As anatomy students we hear so many relations to different muscles, it would be very convenient and nice if when some other muscle is mentioned in the description their was a quick hyperlink to access it.(As opposed to having to type it in the search bar)

3) Full 360 degree rotational ability, and the choice to remove arms.

4) Improved Organization: Students study anatomy in sections, not all at once. In the main menu you should be able to study just once section at a time. You have something similar to this in your quiz feature, but this needs to be applied to your study section.  I would suggest to use predetermined symbols for general movements (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction etc) to make it look better, and also include antagonistic muscles.

Summary:

Pocket Anatomy is probably the most comprehensive AND user-friendly musculoskeletal app out there. A lot of thought was put into making the interface as easy and organized as possible for medical students and other health professionals learning anatomy. There is very little lag time between views, which I love, and is something that is frustrating from other apps. With the exception of some fine-tuning I think Pocket Anatomy has done a superb job, and it sets the standard for other full-body anatomy apps out there.