Fascia is the accepted term to describe integrated three-dimensional connective tissues that have failed to be described in a manner agreed by recognised anatomical authorities. It is proposed that the ambiguity concerning the seeming indefinability and lack of agreement is predominantly conceptual and partially technical. A call for the deconstruction of the word and a proposal for a change in taxonomy to include bone is proposed. Should bone can be viewed as a specialty of fascia it would make redundant descriptive terms “attaches”, “origin” and “insertion”. An agreed change in the definition to include bone would provide a fecund area of research. This paper proposes fascia as the original building material (mesenchyme) of embryology and therefore the true structural matrix that facilitates cellular specialty, including bone. It is proposed that it would be beneficial, to the widest disparate groups of researchers in human sciences, to include bone as fascia based on the supposition of specialty along a spectrum. Attention to structural aspects of fascia has resulted in insufficient attention being paid to the important unified tensegrity based three-dimensional functionality and morphological states. A spectrum is used to classify something in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme points. Concerning fascia, the two points of opposition are hardness to softness along a continuum of specialisation emerging as arachnoid, blood, mucus, bone and other. It seems instructive to suggest that the issue concerning the seeming indefinability and lack of agreement is predominantly conceptual and partially technical.
John Sharkey is an international educator, author and authority in the areas of clinical anatomy, exercise science, human movement and the manual treatment of chronic pain. He is a graduate of the University of Dundee, University of Liverpool and University of Chester. He completed undergraduate and post-graduate studies in the areas of exercise physiology, clinical anatomy and holds a post-graduate certificate in education. He is currently a senior lecturer within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Life Sciences, University of Chester/NTC, Dublin and is the programme leader of the Biotensegrity focused Thiel soft fix cadaver dissection courses department of anatomy and human identification, Dundee University, Scotland.
John has been delivering human anatomy dissection courses for many years teaching the geometry of anatomy and movement from the unique Biotensegrity-Anatomy for the 21st Century perspective. His presentations are respectful, dynamic, entertaining, educational and insightful.
John promotes his model of “Biotensegrity-anatomy for the 21st century” integrating the pioneering work of his mentor Dr. Stephen Levin MD. John has been teaching European Neuromuscular Therapy using living anatomy and specialising in chronic pain conditions. He is recognised as one of the worlds leading authorities on fascia and Biotensegrity. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (JBMT), International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine and other professional journals.
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