Anatomy
Core framework
Anatomy questions test spatial relationships and the consequences of injury. Learn by region and by system, but always attach a clinical correlate: which nerve, which vessel, which structure is at risk. Priorities are the brachial plexus and upper limb nerves, the femoral triangle and lower limb, the inguinal region, the neck triangles, thoracic contents and mediastinal relations, the abdominal viscera and peritoneal spaces, and the cranial nerves with their foramina.
Concepts you must own
Nerve roots and the resulting motor and sensory deficits. Arterial supply and the anastomotic collateral pathways. The contents of each anatomical space and the structures that bound it. Surface landmarks used in procedures.
Traps
- Nerve versus root: a radicular pattern follows a dermatome; a peripheral nerve lesion has a defined motor and sensory territory.
- Close relations: the answer often depends on what lies immediately posterior or medial, not on the named structure itself.
- Foramina: match cranial nerves to their exit foramina; this is a frequent single-fact discriminator.
Worked rule of thumb
For any "which structure is at risk" stem, draw the boundaries of the space in your head and list contents in order. In the femoral triangle, from lateral to medial, the femoral nerve, artery, and vein lie in that sequence within the triangle, with lymphatics medial to the vein. This ordering answers most femoral-region questions directly.