Anatomage Table Update Adds Obesity Reference Bodies and New Physiology Simulations

Two new obesity reference bodies

The most substantial addition in the Table 13 update is a pair of reference bodies representing Class I Obesity (BMI 30, 34.9) and Class III Obesity (BMI above 40). Anatomage says they are based on World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifications. The company describes them as comprehensive 3D anatomical references for studying clinical obesity and as one of the first resources of its kind in a full-body, interactive format.

Anatomage points out that the disease affects approximately one in eight people worldwide. The models let students compare the anatomy of obesity with normal anatomical structures and relationships, revealing changes that, in the company's words, extend well beyond external appearance.

According to Anatomage, building the models required extensive scientific research and medical imaging. Visible changes include skin folds, stretch marks and substantial increases in subcutaneous and visceral fat, which can displace and compress surrounding organs. Deeper changes include muscle hypertrophy and myosteatosis, liver changes associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and ovarian changes associated with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). The company says the models go beyond body size or fat distribution by incorporating changes across multiple systems and regions.

Swallowing, sleep and other physiology simulations

The update also brings interactive physiology simulations based on real human anatomy. Swallowing can be examined from multiple perspectives, with more than 50 structures involved in the process represented in detail. Students can follow the coordinated movement through the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus using internal views. A simulated video fluoroscopic view links the 3D anatomical sequence to the way swallowing is evaluated in medical practice.

A new sleep physiology simulation visualizes brain activity across the major stages of sleep: awake, N1, N2, N3 and REM. A sleep apnea simulation lets students watch the airway collapse and reopen during obstructive sleep apnea while observing associated muscular movements and neural stimulation.

Further simulations cover:

• lymphatic and hepatic physiology
• alveolar gas exchange and muscle capillary exchange
• neuromuscular junction and pancreatic secretion
• reflex arcs, intestinal villi absorption and placental exchange

Other additions to the Table

Anatomage lists several other changes in the release:

• A new healthy male reference body as an additional standardized model.
• New interactive exercises, such as building anatomical pathways in the correct sequence and identifying structures and sections within 3D renderings of real CT scans.
• An expanded Multi-Body library for comparing anatomy across individuals and exploring natural variation.
• An enhanced ultrasound simulation that compares 3D anatomy, 2D slice data and a clinically realistic simulated ultrasound image at the same time.
• Real HiP-CT imaging scans, enhanced with Anatomage's 3D rendering technology.
• Nearly 200 new histology slides.

Translations into French, German, Italian and Spanish will be available soon, together with the Anatomical Terminology (Latin).

What it means for medical education

Anatomage says the update lets students move between individual anatomical variation, disease-related changes, clinical imaging, microscopic structures and physiological processes, connecting levels of anatomy and physiology that are often studied separately. The company says it has refined the platform for more than 15 years.

For institutions that already own an eligible Anatomage Table, the source states the update comes at no additional cost. The release does not specify which Tables are eligible or give a rollout date.