Course Description

This course is designed for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and other health care professionals and educators to review the anatomy of the neck, trunk, and upper/lower extremities to enhance clinical knowledge. The course will present a short didactic review of clinically oriented neuromusculoskeletal anatomy of the human body. Most contact hours will be spent in the Elon Anatomical Donor Laboratory with previously dissected donors from the Elon Anatomical Gift Program. Between twelve and eighteen human donors will be available to teach via prosection. Some further dissection may be available. The course will be limited to two participants per side of the donor (four persons per donor) unless other arrangements are made with the course leader

Note: All participants are required to be active healthcare workers. Elon University reserves the right to ask each participant for proof of credentials upon registering.

Course Outcomes

1. Identify bony characteristic features, joints, major muscles and attachments of the chest, back, upper and lower extremities of human prosected donors. (Some dissection may be available)
2. Identify major vessels and nerves in prosected human donor trunk and extremities
3. Describe anatomic borders and contents of spaces such as the axilla, carpal tunnel, femoral triangle, adductor canal, etc, as it relates to clinical anatomy
4. Participate in discussion of select clinical correlations and relevant anatomic regions to facilitate greater understanding in evaluation, diagnosis, and interventions of the musculoskeletal system (example-dry-needling).

Course Outline

• 8:00-8:15 am: Sign in and welcome
• 8:15-8:30 am: Course introduction and laboratory safety and procedural guidelines
• 8:30-10:00 am: Didactic review of human neuromusculoskeletal anatomy
• 10:00-10:15 am: Break
• 10:15-12:00 pm: Laboratory time for neck, chest, and anterior upper/ lower extremity
• 12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch on your own
• 1:00-2:00 pm: Group case study discussions in classroom
• 2:00-5:00 pm: Laboratory time for the posterior neck, back, upper and lower extremities
• 5:00-5:30 pm: Summary and review

Lead Instructor Information

Dr. Monica Zimmerman, PT, DPT, OCS
Adjunct Assistant Professor Doctor of Physical Therapy 
Adjunct Assistant Professor Physician Assistant Program

graduated from Russell Sage College with a BS in Physical Therapy in 1991 and completed a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University in 2009. In 2022, Dr Zimmerman became board-certified in Clinical Orthopaedics by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. She has worked in numerous physical therapy settings for over 30 years, including orthopedic outpatient, sports medicine with UNCW and NCSU, neurologic rehabilitation, home health care, and inpatient acute care. Dr. Zimmerman has taught for Duke Physician Assistant Program/Human Gross Anatomy Dissection Lab. She is an adjunct assistant professor with Elon University's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (since 2013) and Physician Assistant Studies (since 2020), where she has been instructed in human gross anatomy dissection. She has also assisted with the Orthopedic Examination of the Spine/ Upper Extremity/Lower Extremity since 2018. Dr. Zimmerman is honored to be a member of Elon University's Anatomical Gift Program and the preparation of human donors for anatomic study. She has practiced Trigger Point Dry Needling in NC since her certification in 2016 with Double E-Education and began working with Double E-Education as a laboratory assistant in 2019. Currently, Dr. Zimmerman is co-owner of Elon Physical Therapy in Hillsborough, NC.