Innovative Approach to Teaching Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: The Integration of Ultrasonography

Abstract

First-year and second-year osteopathic medical students successfully demonstrated their use and understanding of ultrasonography and found their assigned structures using live ultrasound imaging. The skills gained through these assignments added another dimension to students' understanding of normal and pathologic musculoskeletal anatomy and vasculature. The integration of ultrasonography into OMM courses may have created a foundation for learning ultrasound-guided injection techniques.

Ultrasonography in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Systematic Review

“…Thirteen studies (14% [13 of 95]) used online videos, modules, or podcasts to assist learning, and 25% (24 of 95) reported using a “flipped classroom” or prelearning module of any sort (online Supplement 2). Fourteen studies (15% [14 of 95]) reported training senior medical students to teach their peers . Regarding novel technology, 3 studies used hand‐carried US devices, and 1 reported using Google Glass and a finger transducer …”

“…Most of the studies had volunteer participants (59% [56 of 95]). Many had sample sizes of less than 50 (41% [39 of 95]), but some sample sizes were quite large, up to 875 over 3 years or 348 in a single year . Validity evidence for tools was rare (42% [40 of 95]), with content validity evidence (eg, developed by an expert [“face validity”]) only being most common (50% [20 of 40]).…”

“…Fourteen studies (15% [14 of 95]) reported training senior medical students to teach their peers. 33,54,56,57,59,64,67,69,84,85,87,88,98,108 Regarding novel technology, 3 studies used hand-carried US devices, 38,69,76 and 1 reported using Google Glass and a finger transducer. 46…”

Feasibility of Using Ultrasonography to Establish Relationships Among Sacral Base Position, Sacral Sulcus Depth, Body Mass Index, and Sex

“…10,14 The incorporation of ultrasonography in first-year osteopathic manipulative medicine courses has been suggested to increase students' confidence in palpatory skills in relation to somatic dysfunction and to give students a clinically advantageous skillset in image acquisition and interpretation. 15 Asymmetry of body landmarks is one of the features of somatic dysfunction. 16 In a study by Shaw et al, 17 differences in asymmetry of the lumbar spine transverse processes were measured using musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging before and after osteopathic manipulative treatment.…”

“…With the increasing need for an evidence base in the medical professions, the objective understanding of palpatory assessment methods is especially important for future osteopathic physicians. 15 Ultrasonography can be used to visualize anatomical structures, identify sacroiliac landmarks, and validate anatomical findings and measurements in relation to somatic dysfunction. The purpose of the current study was to determine the ability of first-year osteopathic medical students to establish sacral base position (SBP) and sacral sulcus depth (SSD) using ultraultrasonography and to identify the relationships that SBP and SSD have with BMI and sex.…”