The role of three-dimensional printed models of skull in anatomy education: a randomized controlled trail

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printed models represent educational tools of high quality compared with traditional teaching aids. Colored skull models were produced by 3D printing technology. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to compare the learning efficiency of 3D printed skulls with that of cadaveric skulls and atlas. Seventy-nine medical students, who never studied anatomy, were randomized into three groups by drawing lots, using 3D printed skulls, cadaveric skulls, and atlas, respectively, to study the anatomical structures in skull through an introductory lecture and small group discussions. All students completed identical tests, which composed of a theory test and a lab test, before and after a lecture. Pre-test scores showed no differences between the three groups. In post-test, the 3D group was better than the other two groups in total score (cadaver: 29.5 [IQR: 25–33], 3D: 31.5 [IQR: 29–36], atlas: 27.75 [IQR: 24.125–32]; p = 0.044) and scores of lab test (cadaver: 14 [IQR: 10.5–18], 3D: 16.5 [IQR: 14.375–21.625], atlas: 14.5 [IQR: 10–18.125]; p = 0.049). Scores involving theory test, however, showed no difference between the three groups. In this RCT, an inexpensive, precise and rapidly-produced skull model had advantages in assisting anatomy study, especially in structure recognition, compared with traditional education materials.

A Preliminary Investigation into the Accuracy of 3D Modeling and 3D Printing in Forensic Anthropology Evidence Reconstruction,

“…The DICOM data were reconstructed using 3D Slicer (3D Slicer, Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, US) , a free, open‐source, cross‐platform program. The soft tissue CT reconstruction was segmented using threshold values (based on the radio‐density of the structure), and the level adjusted to include the desired proportion of bone (so as to not lose detail) . A surface model was generated that was automatically smoothed (using 3D Slicer's Editor Module and Make Model tool), and then exported as an STL (stereolithography, or standard tessellation language) file.…”

Three‐Dimensional Printing of Archived Human Fetal Material for Teaching Purposes

“…The introduction of 3D printed materials to anatomy education has elicited a great deal of interest and uptake globally by medical schools (see discussion in Drake and Pawlina, ; McMenamin et al, ; Lim et al, ; Cornwall, ; Chen et al, ; Smith and Jones, ; Smith et al, ). Although discussion to date has focused primarily on the replication of adult human structures, described here is a novel approach of creating high fidelity copies of human development using CT imaging and 3D printing.…”

“…Studies have shown that students experience particular difficulties when attempting to visualize anatomical structures in 3D (Kramer and Soley, ). Using a variety of different teaching materials, particularly those focused on improving thinking in three‐dimensional spatial orientations, have already been shown to lead to improved outcomes for students (Lim et al, ; Chen et al, ; Smith et al, ). While it is possible to illustrate the stages of human fetal development with 2D images, anatomy in 3D printed format from actual data will be fundamentally more realistic than textbook illustrations.…”

“…Several studies have formally tested the utility of 3D printed material in anatomical teaching, and have indicated that students respond very positively to this approach. Medical students assessed using double‐blinded randomized controlled trials show increased recall when exposed to 3D printed anatomical replicas compared to cadaver specimens plus 3D prints (Lim et al, ), a finding supported by further study utilizing printed skulls (Chen et al, ). Whole adult bodies scanned by high resolution CT, followed by post‐scan processing, segmentation, and printing, also elicited significant increases in knowledge retention in comparison with classical, didactic 2D teaching (Smith et al, ).…”

Development of 3D Printed Bone Reduction with Fracture Lines in Different Color

“…The 3D-printed models with different color fragments can also be used to assist clinician-patient communication, and medical students to understand specific details of the patients fracture such as type of fractures, number of fragments, articular surface fractures and fracture lines direction (Huang, et al, 2018). A full-scale 3D printed model with a different color is fabricated to distinguish anatomical parts and show critically damaged fracture fragments (Chen, et al, 2017). In this study, we developed a series of algorithms to ensure that two adjacent bone fragments fabricated using 3D printing can be assembled successfully.…”