Tag: starz

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Fun Fact: External Rotation

Anatomy def: External rotation is the act of rotating outwardly.

Outlander Def: Both shoulders pulled backward, Geilles languidly gazes to the left.… “Do ye favor my splendid finger painting, wee laddie? Och! Noooo! She scares the bejesus out of Young Ian.

Learn about external rotation in Anatomy Lesson #19, To Arms, Too Arms, Two Arms! 

Moving shoulder joints towards the spine (as in standing at attention) with palms facing forward and thumbs pointing outward is external rotation. (Moving shoulder joints toward the chest with palms facing backward and thumbs pointing toward the thighs is internal rotation.)

Try this: Stand before a mirror with arms at the sides. To execute external rotation of the shoulder joint: Turn palms forward with thumbs pointing outward.

Geillis’ shoulder joints are externally rotated even with hands on her hips, but they will rotate even further with arms at her sides and palms forward.

Wee Fun Fact: Our shoulder joints are the most moveable joints of the human body.

Read about Geillis seduction of Ian in Voyager book, wherein Ian describes her foul behavior in detail. This excerpt is suitable for work – other parts are not. Read the books! <G>

““I didna want to answer her, but I couldna seem to help myself. I felt verra warm, like I was fevered, and I couldna seem to move easy. But I answered all her questions, and her just sitting there, pleasant as might be, watching me close wi’ those big green eyes.’

…“She laughed then, and looked at me careful, and said as how I might not be such a loss, after all. If I was no good for what she had in mind, perhaps I might have other uses.’ ”

See The Witch’s bad behavior in Starz ep 312, The Bakra. Tsk. Tsk. No verra dignified, Mrs. Abernathy!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credit: Sony/Starz

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Fun Fact: Carpal Bone

Anatomy def: Carpals are eight small bones forming the wrist.

Outlander def: Rocking aboard the Artemis, Claire checks her soaring temperature with the back of wrist. Oh, the lass is on fire! … psst … so is Jamie! He, he!

Learn about carpal bones in Anatomy Lesson #22 Jamie’s Hand – Symbol of Sacrifice. If time is short for a full lesson, consider watching my quickie hand lesson, courtesy of Outlander After the Show. This lesson streamed June 1, 2015, just after the airing of ep 116, Wentworth Prison. The  lesson begins at 16:42 in the following video. Thanks to hosts Keetin, Jen and Ryan for inviting me to discuss the hand’s splendid engineering!

Eight oddly-shaped carpal bones are arranged in two rows to form the wrist. The near row abuts forearm bones and the far row articulates with metacarpal bones. Carpal bones are named for their shapes:

  • scaphoid (boat)
  • lunate (crescent-shaped)
  • triquetrum (three-cornered)
  • pisiform (pea)
  • trapezium (table)
  • trapezoid (quadrilateral)
  • capitate (head-shaped)
  • hamate (hook-shaped)

Carpal bones are arranged in a shallow arch traversed by 9 tendons and a nerve. Small repetitive movements or fluid retention can create pressure on the nerve (median) as it passes through the arch causing tingling and numbness, symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Read about  carpal bones in Outlander book, wherein Claire amuses herself by likening streets and lanes of Cranesmuir to bones of forearm and hand. That Claire – always the doc.  That Diana – always the scientist. We love them!

In fact, I had amused myself on the ride to the smithy by imagining an aerial view of the village as a representation of a skeletal forearm and hand; the High Street was the radius, along which lay the shops and businesses and the residences of the more well-to-do. St. Margaret’s Lane was the ulna, a narrower street running parallel with the High, tenanted by smithy, tannery, and the less genteel artisans and businesses. The village square (which, like all village squares I had ever seen, was not square at all, but roughly oblong) formed the carpals and metacarpals of the hand, while the several lanes of cottages made up the phalangeal joints of the fingers.

See Claire’s wrist in action as she self-diagnoses in Starz Episode 311, Uncharted! Continue watching the episode to see what Jamie does to douse her fever. Wink, wink!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo credit: Sony/Starz

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Fun Fact: Iliopsoas

Anatomy def: Iliopsoas muscles are flexors of the hip joints. Flexion draws together the bones of a joint thereby reducing the angle between them. 

Outlander def: Preferring the Highland Fling dismount, Claire and Jamie contract right iliopsoas muscles to hoist their right legs and skedaddle-from-the-saddle.

Learn about iliopsoas in Anatomy Lesson #7: Jamie’s Thighs – Ode to Joy!

Each iliopsoas is a composite muscle formed of iliacus and psoas. These muscles arise in the abdomen via pelvic bone and lumbar vertebrae, respectively. They descend into the thigh, unite and insert via a common tendon into the femur. 

As they contract, the thigh is raised toward the torso, or with the thigh fixed (held steady), the torso is flexed toward the thigh. We actually have nine hip flexors for each hip joint, but iliopsoas is strongest!

Fun Fact: If one is a proper anatomist (he he), psoas is more accurately termed psoas major.  Why? Because, there is a psoas minor – albeit only 25% of people have one. When present, it’s a pretty dinky muscle. It lies anterior to psoas major and contributes little to hip flexion.

And,  just so you know, the “p” in psoas is silent, so the word is pronounced “soas.”  

Read about thighs in Diana’s first splendid tome, Outlander! Does she mention iliopsoas muscle? No, but she does mention thighs. Woot! 

Claire notices Jamie’s thighs on that wild ride through the night near Cocknammon Rock:

My companion seemed to be having little trouble, in spite of being unable to use his right hand. I could feel his thighs behind mine, shifting and pressing occasionally to guide the horse. I clutched the edge of the short saddle in order to stay seated; I had been on horses before, but was by no means the horseman this Jamie was.

And, later after marriage vows have been made, Jamie recalls his thighs and praises Claire’s bottom <G>:

But then that ride through the dark together….with that lovely broad arse wedged between my thighs…

See Claire do the Highland High Kick in Starz ep. 102, Castle Leoch.  Gentleman Jamie follows suit as he dismounts to aid deceitful Geneva in Starz, ep. 304, Of Lost Things!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo credits: Sony/Starz