The Mr. Bucky Numbered Skeleton Model is one of our top choices for a classroom skeleton model because it comes with numbered parts and a wealth of accompanying educational information. Our top-rated model Sam is the only other model on our list with numbered parts. Sam received higher ratings because in addition to numbered bones Sam has many other labeled parts including elements of the muscular and nervous systems.
For its superior educational applications, Mr. Bucky has earned the TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award on our list of the best human skeleton models.
Mr. Bucky is another version of the model immediately following it on our lineup, Budget Bucky. The two Bucky skeletons include mostly the same features, but Mr. Bucky got higher ratings because it has numbered parts. Both Bucky models are male, 66” (about 168 cm) tall and made of the same unbreakable, washable plastic.
Mr. Bucky is not as detailed as some of our higher-rated human skeleton models. In addition to the numbered bones, Mr. Bucky’s vertebral arteries and nerve branches are indicated on the model. In addition to being useful for learning the names of the bones, Mr. Bucky features a prolapsed disk in his backbone, which is one of the most common skeletal ailments of the spine.
Mr. Bucky has flexible joints (except in the hands and feet) that allow for thorough examination of all the bones’ angles and junctions. Similar to most of the models on our list (except Physiological Phil, whose bones are fitted with cords to mimic more natural movement), Mr. Bucky’s flexibility comes from loose-fitting metal pins holding the bones together. Because these metal pins do not represent actual physical structures, Mr. Bucky’s movement does not emulate realistic human range of motion. Mr. Bucky’s spring-loaded jaw offers more realistic movement than the rest of his flexible parts.
Like most of the models on our list, Mr. Bucky’s assembly includes attaching the arms and legs with quick-release bolts, making the limbs easily removable for more detailed examination. Mr. Bucky also has a removable calvarium (skull cap). Finally, Mr. Bucky has three removable teeth in the lower jaw.
As Mr. Bucky is a numbered skeleton, it comes with a key to identify the bones by number. As a bonus, Mr. Bucky includes a set of charts detailing the structures of the muscular, nervous, circulatory and digestive systems. In a classroom setting (even lower-level medical school courses), Mr. Bucky is the ideal model for detailed learning of the skeletal system and its relationship to other body systems.
The Mr. Bucky Numbered Skeleton Model offers the most comprehensive educational materials of any model on our list, making it perfect for a lower-level classroom where students are learning the basics of all the body's systems.
For an even more detailed numbered human skeleton model, check out our top choice, Super Skeleton Model Sam, or for a slightly simpler version of Bucky without the numbered parts, see our review of Budget Bucky Skeleton with Stand.
