Using Soft-Preserved Body Donors to Improve the Anatomy Learning Experience for Orthopedic Residents

Area of Science:

• Anatomical education
• Surgical training
• Medical device development

Background:

• Anatomical knowledge is crucial for orthopedic residents' clinical skill development.
• Formalin-preserved donors, commonly used, lack realistic tissue characteristics.
• This study compares Imperial College London-soft preserved (ICL-SP) donors with traditional formalin-preserved donors for anatomy instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of ICL-SP donors versus formalin-preserved donors in teaching anatomy to orthopedic residents.
• To assess resident and observer preferences and experiences with different donor preservation methods.

Main Methods:

• Orthopedic residents completed dissection surveys over six weeks using a 5-point Likert scale.
• Surveys assessed various anatomical structures, ease of dissection, and tissue similarity to in vivo conditions.
• Descriptive statistics analyzed resident opinions and experiences with both donor types.

Main Results:

• 88.3% of residents favored ICL-SP donors for dissections and 86% for observations.
• Residents preferred ICL-SP donors for evaluating preservation differences.
• Dissecting and identifying structures was more effective with ICL-SP donors.

Conclusions:

• ICL-SP donors enhance the transfer of learned anatomical skills to clinical practice.
• Improved anatomical education with ICL-SP donors can lead to better patient care outcomes.
• Orthopedic residency programs should consider advanced preservation techniques for anatomy training.