Exploring public perceptions of creating and using 3D printed human remains

American Association for Anatomy recommendations for the management of legacy anatomical collections

“…Part of the problem includes whether derivative products are themselves ‘human’ and deserve the dignity and respect afforded to ‘real’ tissues, or whether they require any special consideration given their ‘nonhuman’ existence. Recent work on how the public view 3D printed replicas suggests that some persons hold the view that these should be treated as human tissues (Alves‐Cardoso & Campanacho, 2022; Carew et al, 2023). Where no consent has been acquired for the generation of such resources, good practice would suggest that records be kept by custodians on the planning, types and amount of derivative resources that are generated, so that oversight committees can discuss and decide the appropriate management of these resources.…”

“…Specific and detailed approval from the custodian and an oversight committee should be obtained, including an explanation of the techniques used to sample tissue (including reference to the type and amount of tissue that will be used and not returned), how any samples will be handled and disposed of after the generation of data, the methodology employed, the type of information to be gathered, how the information will be utilized, and any potential distribution of the data. This should include reference to potential harms to communities or populations of interest, bearing in mind that specific considerations relating to the individual perspectives of different populations may exist (Caron et al, 2020). Data that are acquired in this fashion should be offered to the respective community, if known.…”

“…This includes digital representations, images, 3D surface scans and printed replicas, and casts that represent the anatomical form of these human tissues. These derivative products are the subject of current ethical deliberations among anatomists (e.g., Cornwall, 2016;Cornwall, 2017;Cornwall, Callahan, & Wee, 2016;Cornwall, Winkelmann, & Hildebrandt, 2016;Jones, 2019) and other fields such as forensic science (Carew et al, 2023), anthropology (Krmpotich, 2015), and bioarchaeology (Harries et al, 2018;Smith & Hirst, 2019), and there is currently no general agreement on how they should be managed though the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists has recently published recommendations around human tissue image acquisition and use (Cornwall et al, 2023;IFAA, 2023). This acknowledges that different cultures have a range of perspectives around the meaning attached to images of human remains, and how these images should be treated (Harries et al, 2018).…”

Sex estimation from virtual models: exploring the potential of stereolithic 3D crania models for morphoscopic trait scoring

“…Whilst there are associated benefits to using virtual anthropology, it is also vital to understand the underlying factors that play a role in the interpretation of current and new methods in virtual environments, including testing for the reliability and accuracy of the applicability of 3D STL cranial models in a forensic context. However, alternative ethical issues have arisen and are starting to be explored concerning the production of 3D models [ 55 , 56 ]. Given the existing restrictions that can make physical access to skeletal collections difficult, there is clearly huge potential for 3D models to increase accessibility to collections through digital databases and radiographic imaging.…”

Research and analysis on key issues of 3D printing human bones

“…It can support the human body. When maintaining an upright posture, the human body needs a skeleton structure composed of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, thoracic spine, sacrum, pelvis, and lower limb femur, tibia, and foot bones to maintain an upright posture [1]; Skeletons constitute various joints of the human body, such as the knee, ankle, and hip joints, used to achieve human movement and labor [2]; Bones are also the protective "armor" of human organs, such as the skull, which protects the brain, and the ribs, which protect the chest from damage. After a bone receives damage, it can repair and heal itself within a certain range [3].…”