Evaluation of the use of cadaveric computed tomography in anatomy education: An overview.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nWe aimed to explore to what extent the literature supports that the use of cadaveric computed tomography can play an important role in anatomy education.\n\n\nMATERIALS AND METHODS\nPubMed, SCOPUS, Education Resources Information Center and Cochrane Databases were searched for papers with purpose to explore the outcomes of the use of cadaveric computed tomography scans in anatomy education. The following data were obtained from each paper: authors, number of participants, type of study (comparative or not), level of outcome according to Kirkpatrick hierarchy, possible evaluation of statistical significance, acquisition of anatomical knowledge after the educational intervention and perceptions about the effectiveness of this intervention in anatomy learning.\n\n\nRESULTS\nSeven articles were included. Four of them evaluated students knowledge after the use of cadaveric computed tomography scans in anatomy education and three papers evaluated only students perceptions. Generally, the outcomes, which mainly concerned students perceptions, were positive, while it was showed that students academic performance may also be improved.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe outcomes of the use of cadaveric computed tomography scans in anatomy education encourage the implementation of this teaching modality in anatomy curricula. Further research, including comparative studies with evaluation of acquisition of students knowledge, is needed to show if cadaveric computed tomography will be proved a remarkable supportive tool in anatomy educators hands.