Assembling Facial Muscles in a Skull Model for Plastic Surgery Trainees

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Education
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Accurate anatomical knowledge of facial muscles is crucial for medical professionals.
• Traditional methods for teaching facial anatomy can be challenging due to muscle complexity and depth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a training workshop using a 3D facial muscle model.
• To assess the impact of anatomical resources on learning facial muscle assembly and relationships.

Main Methods:

• A 2-stage workshop using a 33-piece magnetic facial muscle model.
• Participants assembled the model with and without access to anatomical review articles.
• Assembly time and participant satisfaction were recorded.

Main Results:

• Assembly time significantly decreased from 66.9 ± 22.2 to 27.9 ± 15.0 minutes after reviewing anatomical information (P = 0.002).
• Participant knowledge of muscle names, origins, insertions, and relationships (including depth) significantly increased (P = 0.019, P = 0.017, P = 0.002).

Conclusions:

• The 3D facial muscle model is an effective tool for enhancing anatomical education.
• Integrating anatomical resources into hands-on workshops improves learning outcomes and efficiency.
• This model can be valuable for undergraduate anatomy courses and objective structured clinical examinations.