Contradictions cure
Alan Bleakley in Medical Education, Politics and Social Justice, 2020
By introducing an aesthetic dimension to learning through the arts and humanities, the most important second pedagogical shift we can make is to place appreciation of the body prior to explanation. If a major problem of everyday clinical medicine is objectification of patients, then medical education must nip this in the bud to encourage appreciation of patients’ dignity and worth. Anatomy learning – despite rituals such as formal recognition of those who have donated bodies for cadaver dissection (in schools, mainly North American, that continue this tradition) – can easily descend into a reductive and instrumental exercise, losing all sense of the worth and beauty of the body to functional explanations. A first step is to place an emphasis on living and surface anatomy. In resisting objectification of the body, students embrace authentic patient-centredness.
Pelvic Exenteration: Radical Perineal Approaches and Sacrectomies
P Ronan O’Connell, Robert D Madoff, Stanley M Goldberg, Michael J Solomon, Norman S Williams in Operative Surgery of the Colon, Rectum and Anus Operative Surgery of the Colon, Rectum and Anus, 2015
Alternatively, the sacral incision can be joined with previous perineal incision, which was performed by the ‘perineal’ surgeon with the patient in the lithotomy position. This becomes the perineal dissection of an abdominoperineal resection, which is incorporated with the sacrectomy. The cephalad extent of the incision depends on the level of sacrectomy Figure 6.12.16. Useful surface anatomy includes: the posterior superior iliac spine = superior border of the sacrumthe posterior inferior iliac spine = the level of the third segment of the sacrum (S3)
Imaging
Peter Houpt in Hand Injuries in the Emergency Department, 2023
The technician will use the appropriate technique if the request is done clearly. A CT scan is indicated in case of comminuted intra-articular fractures, scaphoid fractures or to assess complex luxations. Ultrasound is a suitable medium for demonstrating foreign bodies. Arthroscopy can be used in the acute stage to help in the reduction of intra-articular radial fractures. The knowledge of surface anatomy related to the X-ray image is important (Figures 4.1–4.5).
Twelve tips for optimising medical student retention of anatomy
Published in Medical Teacher, 2022
Kerry G. Baker
There can be no doubt as to the importance of medical imaging and surface anatomy (Gupta et al. 2008; Orsbon et al. 2014; Yammine 2014). However, the reason incorporation of radiological and surface anatomy improves retention of anatomy is because both involve deeper processing which is proven to aid long-term storage of information (Nairne et al. 2008; Lieberman 2012; Soravia et al. 2016). Inclusion of radiological anatomy and surface anatomy in the anatomy curriculum is relatively straightforward, particularly as radiological anatomy is often already included as part of anatomy education in many medical schools (Jang et al. 2018). The teaching of surface anatomy is also widespread (Bergman et al. 2013) and despite complaints that surface anatomy is too time consuming, even body painting can be economical with regard to time and efficient for learning (Finn 2010). Incorporating surface anatomy in the curriculum is justified not only for its clinical application (Leveritt et al. 2016), but also for its potential to enhance episodic memory through the personal activity of each individual (Hasselmo 2012). Since medical imaging is relevant to most internal structures, and surface anatomy to more superficial structures, almost all anatomy can benefit from this approach and it need not be restricted to specific body systems.
The importance of endoscopy in lacrimal surgery
Published in Expert Review of Ophthalmology, 2018
Akshay Gopinathan Nair, Swati Singh, Saurabh Kamal, Mohammad Javed Ali
Recent studies in neurosurgery have deployed the use of ‘enhanced visualization’, also known as ‘augmented reality’. Augmented reality was developed to highlight vulnerable deeper structures overlaid on top of the surgical field in an attempt to make surgery safe. To achieve this final outcome, the preoperative image data are displayed with relevant anatomical structures being segmented and highlighted (in some cases by coloring). These processed data are then, anatomically superimposed onto the operative field to provide additional information regarding the surface anatomy for the surgeon. This has been used in visceral surgery, neurosurgery, and more recently in ENT surgery [63]. New visualization techniques for endoscopic ENT surgeries have been developed, which show the target structures and instrument positions within the endoscopic video image [64]. Furthermore, the surgeon can assess the distance to the target region intraoperatively as well. These ‘image-enhanced endoscopic systems’ are an exciting new development which can make surgery safer and potentially maximize outcomes. These technological breakthroughs are critical in ensuring that endoscopic lacrimal surgery become safer with better outcomes. With more ophthalmic plastic surgery fellowship programs incorporating structured training in endoscopic lacrimal surgery, the popularity and the safety of endoscopic lacrimal surgery by ophthalmologists is expected to increase [7,65,66].
Is there a superior simulator for human anatomy education? How virtual dissection can overcome the anatomic and pedagogic limitations of cadaveric dissection
Published in Medical Teacher, 2018
Kathryn E. Darras, Anique B. H. de Bruin, Savvas Nicolaou, Nils Dahlström, Anders Persson, Jeroen van Merriënboer, Bruce B. Forster
From a pedagogical perspective, curricula based on cadaveric dissection do not easily facilitate vertical integration or flexible curricula, which are key components of modern medical education. Vertical integration is limited since disease in cadavers is random, making it impossible for educators to properly develop a clinically oriented curriculum. While it may be possible to highlight some normal clinical applications (i.e. surface anatomy), this can also be accomplished through other modalities such as ultrasound. Furthermore, with cadavers, the dissection sequence is relatively fixed, which further limits the ability of cadaveric dissection to integrate effectively into case-based curricula. For example, traditionally the kidneys are not studied without first dissecting the anterior abdomen. Additionally, cadaveric curricula are less flexible and more difficult to personalize as students are unable to correct dissection mistakes or re-visit completed dissections.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Auscultation
- Dissection
- Endoscopy
- Thorax
- Gross Anatomy
- Radiology
- Body Proportions
- Phrenology
- Palmistry
- Physical Examination