Plenty of us have a metaphorical skeleton or two in our closets, but what happens when those skeletons are real?

It’s thought thousands of skeletons are in private hands in Australia, bought by medical students to aid their study of human anatomy.

It’s been illegal to buy or sell human remains in Victoria and NSW without a permit since the 80s, but it remains perfectly legal to own and give away human bones.

A new article in the Medical Journal of Australia argues bones owned for medical research should be put to rest, to show respect for the dead.

But disposing of human bones is another matter. There are legislative requirements in Australia that human remains be identified before cremation or burial.

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Timna Jacks joins Bianca Hall to discuss the dilemma facing people who have real skeletons in their closets.

And a warning, some listeners may find this content disturbing.