Posted by 
The top of the femur bone that is supposed to connect to the pelvis bone (pelvis not pictured), ball and socket joint connected to the top of the femur bone, the thickest and hardest bone of the body. The cavity is made up of dense and compact bone as are all long bones like the femur; pictured is the bone matrix within the middle to signify the bone is healthy.
For the middle of the bone is to represent osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone condition where the bone slowly weakens and makes the bone brittle and fragile; bone creation processes slower than the removal of the old bone. It mostly affects the older population and those who lack calcium in their diets. Though an incurable medical condition, osteoporosis can be treated to prevent further bone loss and further weakening of the bones. It’s represented as having a spacier bone matrix in the middle and wasting away bone above the cartilage of the knee bone.
From the bottom knee towards the tibia and fibula is a tumor caused by osteosarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer that affects mostly children and young adults. The most common area of the cancer tumor to form is right below the knee. Aggressive treatment for osteosarcoma is required for patient’s survival like medications, chemotherapy, and/or surgery, which could include amputation to prevent further tumor growth or spreading. It’s represented as a red spot on the painting right below the knee; though it can occur at any part of the body, it is the most common near the knee or on either shoulder.
The bottom panel of the painting is supposed to represent a bone fracture which is caused by trauma, falls, direct blows to the bone and even be caused by osteoporosis’ weakened bones. It can happen to anybody that experiences those traumas and can vary into seven different types: greenstick, transverse, spiral, oblique, compression, comminuted, and segmental. Around 1.5 million people suffer from bone fractures from bone diseases alone, the number increases when including traumas and accidents.
The art piece is an abstract depiction of bone features and diseases. The course objective “Know the stages of bone development and repair” is the starting point and each of the four sections explores a different stage of bone-specific disease that is briefly described in the written statement. Each section was painted in a fun, curiosity inspiring manner that leads the observer to want to investigate the subject further. Taking a picture of the piece alongside an actual person’s leg for scale was a nice touch as well.