Résumé
Increasing number of medical students and limited availability of cadavers have led to reduction of anatomy teaching through human cadaveric dissection. These changes triggered the emergence of innovative teaching and learning strategies in order to maximize students learning of anatomy. An alternative approach to traditional dissection was presented in an effort to improve content delivery and student satisfaction. Study objective was to acquire three-dimensional (3D) anatomical data using structured-light surface scanning to create a dynamic four-dimensional (4D) dissection tool of four regions: neck, male inguinal and femoral areas, female perineum, and brachial plexus. At each dissection step, identified anatomical structures were scanned using a 3D surface scanner (Artec Spider™). Resulting 3D color meshes were overlaid to create a 4D (3D+time) environment. An educational interface was created for neck dissection. Its implementation in the visualization platform allowed 4D virtual dissection, by navigating from surface to deep layers and vice versa. A group of 28 second-year medical students and 17 first-year surgery residents completed a satisfaction survey. Majority of of medical students (96.4%) and 100% of surgery residents said they would recommend this tool to their colleagues. According to surgery residents, main elements of this virtual tool were the realistic high-quality of 3D acquisitions and possibility to focus on each anatomical structure. As for medical students, major elements were the interactivity and entertainment aspect, precision and accuracy of anatomical structures. This approach proves that innovative solutions to anatomy education can be found to help to maintain critical content and student satisfaction in anatomy curriculum.