The Uterine Games: Using a Game Engine to Develop a 3D Digital Female Reproductive Tract to Aid in Anatomy Education

Abstract

With reduced contact hours and increasing concern regarding inadequate anatomical knowledge, anatomy education in the medical curriculum must be robust and efficient. Although cadaveric dissection is the traditional approach to teaching anatomy, dissection has many limitations, such as high cost, time‐consuming labor, limited availability of cadavers, and lack of qualified instructors. To address this challenge, alternatives to cadaver‐based instruction, such as plastinates, are routinely used as supplemental teaching resources. By replacing water and adipose tissue with polymers, plastination allows the long‐term preservation of well‐dissected cadaveric specimens. Despite the advantages of plastination, use of plastinates may be limited by high production and maintenance costs. Currently, the Modern Human Anatomy Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has one plastinate of the female reproductive tract, bisected to show the internal anatomy together with the external genitalia and urinary bladder. Although the plastinate was well‐received in a small‐sized graduate course, incorporating a singular plastinate in a large medical class is problematic. Thus, implementing a three‐dimensional (3D) digital model of a plastinate may be an effective method to accommodate large class sizes without compromising the physical specimen or adding substantial costs. The aim of this project was to iteratively design and develop a mobile application (app) depicting a 3D model of the plastinated female reproductive tract. A 3D surface model of the plastinate was digitally reconstructed using an Artec Space Spider 3D Scanner. Artifacts were smoothed and texture was refined in ZBrushCore 2018 and Autodesk Maya 2019. The model was packaged into a mobile app using a game engine, Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). Compared to other app development software, UE4 was chosen for its robust visualization of 3D models, cross‐platform deployment, and zero upfront costs. With online tutorials, UE4’s Blueprints visual scripting system is relatively simple to grasp, and the node‐based interface is a powerful approach for non‐programmers, allowing extreme flexibility without the need for coding. Utilizing this flexibility, the app was designed to promote self‐paced independent learning of the female reproductive tract and associated pelvic anatomy. Students can follow a pre‐determined learning module or freely navigate through highlighted and annotated structures on the bisected model. In addition to basic manipulation of the model, the app features interactive quizzes to encourage active learning. The app can also be used alongside the original plastinate to aid students in structure identification. By digitizing cadaver anatomy, the mobile app ensures a realistic and accurate representation of human anatomy and any anatomical variations or pathologies. Integrating supplemental resources, such as an interactive mobile app, may allow instructors to strengthen anatomy education and address barriers to cadaver‐based instruction. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the efficacy and educational value of the mobile app as a supplemental teaching resource for female pelvic anatomy.