Constructive Anatomy®: A training paradigm addressing the shortfalls in conventional anatomy education

Adequate knowledge of human anatomy is fundamental to the practice of plastic surgery; however, traditional teaching methods have limitations in cost, accessibility and retention of spatial anatomic relationships. Constructive Anatomy® is a novel, hands-on training method that combines wax sculpting with 3D printed anatomical structures to actively engage learners and reinforce anatomical knowledge through structured assembly.

A retrospective, survey-based cohort study was conducted to evaluate whether Constructive Anatomy®, under the guidance of senior plastic surgeons, improves anatomical knowledge and clinical confidence among surgeons and allied healthcare professionals. The course was conducted in Birmingham, UK. The participants voluntarily enrolled, and data was collected to assess the participants' backgrounds, course experience, perceived anatomical knowledge before and after the course, and its impact on clinical confidence. A 2-tailed, paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-course self-reported anatomical knowledge scores.

Over 7-years, 19 courses were delivered, with 139 delegates completing the post-course survey. Participants included mixed-grade surgeons (n = 109), allied healthcare professionals (n = 29) and an artist. Pre-course anatomical knowledge was rated at a mean of 56.5% (range 10-90%), increasing to 85.3% post-course (range 40-100%) (P < 0.0001). Thirty-nine delegates agreed, and 77 strongly agreed that the course improved their confidence in clinical practice.

Constructive Anatomy® significantly increased the self-assessed anatomy knowledge and clinical confidence among participants from a range of professional backgrounds.