Learning Anatomy With Radiology: A Systematic Review

Radiology education is critical for medical students' anatomical competence and clinical readiness. However, it remains insufficiently integrated in medical curricula as residency program directors describe interns' basic image interpretation as unsatisfactory. This review aims to assess the efficacy of ultrasound, CT, MRI, and X-ray in facilitating the learning of anatomy among medical students. Following PRISMA guidelines, 983 articles were screened, and 52 studies published between 2000 and 2025 met the inclusion criteria by comparing radiology-integrated anatomy education with traditional methods such as cadaver and atlas use. Data extraction covered study design, radiology modalities, and effect sizes. Both integrated and traditional methods consisted of medical student cohorts assessed on objective knowledge and skills with recorded quantitative outcomes. Included studies showed knowledge gains on multiple choice assessments (pooled Cohen's d = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.34-1.65) but with high heterogeneity among studies (I² = 99.5%). Controlled designs were used in 21% of studies. Other investigations (68% of studies) used attitudinal surveys that revealed strong student preference for radiology-integrated learning. Of the modalities present, ultrasound was predominant (85% of studies), with other modalities (CT: 15%; MRI/X-ray: < 5%) substantially underrepresented despite clinical relevance. Radiology integration was shown to enhance anatomy education and clinical preparedness. The incorporation of radiology, specifically ultrasound, into anatomical education leads to a significant and substantial improvement in student learning outcomes. Future investigations can standardize assessments, expand multimodal research, and address global curricular disparities.