Anatomy Course Research Articles

Junior and senior students possess differential preferences towards multimodal digital anatomy resources.

Digital technologies are changing how anatomy is taught tremendously. However, little is known about the effective integration of multimodal digital resources when concurrently provided in an anatomy course. To address this question, an array of digital anatomy resources including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) anatomy resources were concurrently trialed by a total of 326 undergraduate and postgraduate students across three undergraduate (systemic anatomy, neuroanatomy, and regional anatomy) and one postgraduate anatomy (applied musculoskeletal anatomy) curricula in 2022. A five-point Likert scale learning and teaching survey was conducted to evaluate students' experiences, preferences, and perceptions. Most undergraduate (81% systemic anatomy, 76% neuroanatomy, and 87% regional anatomy) and postgraduate (97%) participants across the four cohorts felt confident in studying anatomy using digital resources and the majority (>80% undergraduate and >90% postgraduate) found the multimodal digital anatomy resources interactive and stimulating. The response showed that undergraduate (77% systemic anatomy, 81% neuroanatomy, and 97% regional anatomy) and postgraduate students (92%) consistently enjoyed their experience of using multimodal digital anatomy resources and thought that these resources enhanced their interest in studying anatomy. However, there are significant differences in ratings of specific digital resources among the junior (first-year undergraduates) and senior (third-year undergraduates and postgraduates) students. The virtual dissection table was uniformly preferred by the four cohorts of students across the board. Interestingly, however, VR anatomy and radiographic-based digital anatomy resources received diverse ratings. VR anatomy was valued most by junior undergraduate students (84%) who studied systemic anatomy compared to their senior counterparts (73%) who studied regional anatomy, whereas radiographic-based digital anatomy resources were more valued by the postgraduate students (93%) compared to undergraduates (65% systemic anatomy, 73% neuroanatomy, and 48% regional anatomy). This study identifies that while students uniformly appreciate the value of multimodal digital anatomy teaching, there is a clear difference in their perceptions towards individual resources, likely in a course-specific manner. We conclude that the selection and adoption of digital anatomy tools must be tailored as part of course design and that digital anatomy tools should be used in combination to provide an effective learning experience for students.

Development, implementation, and perceptions of a 3D-printed human skull in a large dental gross anatomy course.

Skull anatomy is a difficult region for anatomy students to learn and understand but is necessary for a variety of health professional students. To improve learning, a 3D-printed human skull was developed, produced, and distributed to a course of 83 dental students for use as a take-home study tool over the 10-week anatomy course. The 70% scale human skull derived from CT data had a fully articulating mandible, simulated temporomandibular joint, and accurate cranial structures. At the course end, students completed a perception survey and responses were compared with those who made a grade of A, B, or C in the course. Students overall reported using the model less than 3 h per week, but those who scored an A in the course reported using the model more frequently than those who scored a B or C. Free responses revealed that students used the model in a variety of ways, but found that the model was quick and easily accessible to check understanding while studying at home in the absence of direct observation by faculty. Overall, this study provides evidence on the feasibility of large-scale 3D printing and the benefits of the use of a 3D-printed model as a take-home study aid.

An Assessment of the Active Learning Worksheets in an Undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology Course

Anatomy & Physiology I is a demanding gateway science course for community college students. It is particularly challenging for underrepresented Hispanic students who must navigate course content, language barriers, and work-related time constraints. This paper introduces a new active learning strategy to promote meaningful learning and conceptual understanding of Anatomy & Physiology, enhancing students' academic success. The teaching strategy incorporates enhanced lecture presentations and discussions. It also includes periodic pauses for students to engage in active learning activities aligned with learning outcomes. These activities spark student interest and provide immediate feedback on their understanding of challenging topics. The study indicates that the pass rate, mainly grades of C+ and above (a requirement in all nursing courses), was consistently higher for active learning participants than those who attended traditional lectures. This evidence suggests that an active learning environment boosts academic performance among our ethnically diverse students.

Collaborative Critical Thinking Problem Sets Enhance Student Perceived Learning and Promote Student Practice Outside of the Classroom

Collaborative learning and peer-to-peer teaching activities can greatly enhance student learning and engagement in the classroom. This work evaluates the implementation of an additional required class period dedicated to collaborative problem solving activities. A two-semester integrative upper-level anatomy and physiology course (Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2) was revised for the 2022-2023 academic year from a 2 x 75-minute weekly schedule to a 3 x 75-minute weekly schedule to facilitate an extra class period each Friday dedicated to graded collaborative critical thinking worksheets called Problem Sets. Two Friday Problem Set sessions were scheduled for each unit, resulting in an additional 150 minutes of faculty-student contact time per unit and 8 Problem Sets per semester, totalling 16 Problem Sets for the year-long course. Students were encouraged to work in groups on these questions which integrated the previous two class period’s content and additional previous course content, as applicable. Questions in each Problem Set targeted concepts at the Apply, Analyze, or Evaluate learning levels of the Modified Bloom's Taxonomy. Each student turned in their own answer page for an individual grade, serving as a formative assessment. The Problem Set worksheets also included three reflective questions asking the student to note which classmates they worked with, how well they felt they understood the material, and what they did outside of class to prepare for the Problem Set session. The cohort of students in this study was 14 students/semester. In 16/16 Problem Sets, 100% of the students responded to an open-ended question indicating that they completed the Problems Sets with classmates and identified their specific collaborators. In 13/16 Problem Sets, students’ responses to the multiple choice reflective question, “After completing these questions with my classmates I feel…”, 85% of the students responded “...like I understand the material better,” and the remaining 15% responded “...about the same.” In the other 3/16 Problem Sets, only 64% of the students responded “...like I understand the material better.” This indicates that some Problem Sets were more effective than others in assisting students with perceived learning and understanding of the content. Notably, as the semester progressed, students increased their response details to the open-ended question, “How do you prepare for these Friday sessions?”. At the beginning of the semester many students left the question blank or wrote “nothing”, but beginning with Problem Set 4 students started to list specific things they did outside of class to prepare for these sessions, such as “reviewing course notes” or “redrawing pathways and figures” or “completing practice problems in the textbook.” By Problem Set 7 more than 80% of students were sharing details on how they increased their study time outside of class to prepare for Problem Sets. These responses highlight the students’ increased utilization of metacognitive strategies that lead to success (i.e. spending more time outside of class preparing for in class activities) and the benefit of these activities on their learning and understanding of the course material. Collectively, these qualitative data support the continued use of Problem Sets in this integrative year-long anatomy and physiology course. none. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Student Self-Reported Metacognition and Self-Effcacy in an Upper-Division Human Anatomy and Physiology Course Increased Post-COVID Pandemic Compared to Fall 2019

Metacognition and self-effcacy are important components of self-regulated learning. Given the academic and personal upheaval that students experienced, and given faculty-observed declines in certain academic skills and student mental health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this study hypothesized that students would report lower self-effcacy and metacognitive self-regulation upon entering an upper-division Human Anatomy and Physiology course in fall 2022 compared to fall 2019. Students reported self-effcacy and metacognition at the beginning and end of both semesters using the MSLQ metacognitive self-regulation (revised) and MSLQ self-effcacy for learning and performance subscales, respectively. Data indicate that students not only reported higher self-effcacy and metacognitive self-regulation at the beginning of the course, but also continued to report higher self-effcacy and metacognitive self-regulation throughout the course. It may be that the unique academic and personal challenges presented between March 2020 and September 2022 required students to develop improved metacognitive practices and strengthened students’ academic self-effcacy. Alternatively, it may be that some combination of high academic and personal turmoil, isolation from other students and faculty, and/or lowered faculty expectations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic skewed students’ frames of reference for self-reported measures. No support or funding was received for this project. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Augmented reality for anatomy course for children with autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that mainly affects social interaction and effective communication, showing problems in their learning, reflected in the lack of attention in schools, such as in anatomy classes. The main objective of the project is to develop a mobile application for children with autism to improve their learning in Anatomy and social interaction through augmented reality (AR). The methodology to be used is ADDIE which is in charge of analyzing the experience of the work team to find the ease of software development, proposing the efficient development with continuous improvement according to the evaluation to the specialists. The results show the evaluation of the specialists on the mobile application with AR where they will indicate their satisfaction with the application. In conclusion, it will be shown a mobile application with AR that offers a technological and eye-catching novelty for users in order to improve the educational development of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Risk of Cephalic Vein Injury During the Creation of an Anterior Portal in Shoulder Arthroscopy.

There is a risk of cephalic vein injury during shoulder arthroscopy. However, limited data regarding its anatomic course are available. To analyze the positional relationship and factors affecting the distance between the coracoid tip and cephalic veins. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. A total of 80 contrast-enhanced computed tomography images from 80 patients (mean age, 49.6 ± 20.3 years; 61 men) were retrospectively analyzed. The distance between the center of the coracoid tip and the vertical line through the cephalic vein was measured in the axial (D1) and sagittal (D2) planes. The distance between 1 cm lateral to the center of the coracoid tip and the vertical line through the cephalic vein was measured in the sagittal plane (D3). Each distance was compared according to patient sex and laterality. Associations between each distance and the patient's age, height, weight, and body mass index were investigated. The mean D1 was 18.4 ± 7.3 mm in 59 patients. The mean D2 was 23.4 ± 11.6 mm, and it was within 10 mm in 10 patients (12.5%). The mean D3 was 33.7 ± 12.2 mm. There was no significant difference in D1, D2, and D3 according to patient sex or laterality. A positive correlation was observed only between D3 and patient height (r = 0.320; P = .034). The cephalic vein was found to travel a mean of 23.4 mm distal and 33.7 mm distal to 1 cm lateral to the coracoid tip. Therefore, Care should be taken to avoid cephalic vein injury when creating an anterior inferior portal or 5-o'clock portal around these areas.

Anatomical Variations of the Medial Plantar Artery Flap: A Cadaveric Study With Clinical Applications

The medial plantar artery flap (MPAF) presents both unique value as well as significant challenges. As the plantar foot has specific anatomy, the use of the MPAF to recreate this highly specialized area may provide improvements in durability and rates of limb salvage. The purpose of this study is to establish the anatomic course of the branching patterns of the medial plantar artery (MPA) and provide a foundation for MPA flap nomenclature as it is related to design and elevation. Thirty-seven fresh frozen cadaver feet were used for dissection: 20 right and 17 left sided limbs. Anatomic measurements recorded included: branching pattern of the MPA, bifurcation distance of the superficial branch (SB) and deep branch (DB) from the origin of the MPA, distance from the MPA origin to the anterior colliculus of the medial malleolus, and the distance from the SB and the DB to the navicular tuberosity. The MPA was found to bifurcate into SB and DB in 30 (81%) specimens; 6 (16%) specimens had only a SB, whereas 1 (3%) specimen had only a DB, which had not been previously described. The distance from the anterior colliculus to the MPA was 3.0 cm, MPA to the distal bifurcation was 2.9 cm, and navicular tuberosity to the SB and DB was 2.2 cm and 1.3 cm, respectively. Minimizing the complexity of the dissection with the use of more reliable landmarks and a deeper understanding of the anatomy may reduce complications and allow for more reproducible outcomes when utilizing the MPAF.

The trepidatious return to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic: valuable lessons applied from online teaching using Lt in the face-to-face classroom

The speed at which educators have embraced new technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic has been remarkable. This pivot to virtual instruction has been particularly diffcult in courses where hands-on experiences are the norm, such as in anatomy and physiology laboratory courses. Now with the transition back to mostly in-person instruction, the anatomy and physiology lab environment has faced a new set of challenges where the want to return to a strictly hands-on experience is being met with the need to still maintain flexibility and accessibility for students placed in quarantine. The anatomy and physiology lab curriculum at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) has adapted to this varied set of needs by adopting the use of the web-based laboratory software platform, Lt. Students in introductory anatomy and physiology labs surveyed during strictly virtual semesters reported a high level of satisfaction with the Lt lab software. Ratings regarding ease of use, support of learning, and overall ratings increased each semester with the highest ratings occurring during the recent semesters where instruction returned to mostly in-person and hands-on (Fall 2021 – Spring 2022). Interestingly, beginning in 2022 and continuing into fall of 2023, ratings of overall satisfaction began to decrease. Although it is currently diffcult to determine the root cause of this decrease in satisfaction, we speculate that many students are becoming fatigued with the continued use of seemingly virtual labs. Although most lab exercises are hands-on and include dissections and live physiological recordings, we think that the continued use of a virtual interface is too reminiscent of learning under quarantine conditions. Even with variations in ratings regarding Lt use in our introductory anatomy and physiology laboratories, our data still help to support the widely held belief that students perform best, and that instruction is more effective with face-to-face laboratory courses. With our continued use of Lt, we have found an effective combination of virtual and in-person instruction that best fits our course outcomes while still supporting the flexibility and accessibility our students require. Research reported in this poster was supported by the University of the Incarnate Word Offce of Research and Graduate Studies. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Use and Perception of Peer Recommendations to Improve Study Skills in Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Courses

Student success data from students enrolled in an undergraduate anatomy and Physiology (A&P) course at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse indicated that student performance closely correlated with the number of prior completed university semesters. Based on this data we hypothesized that some students may have gained (or use) study skills that may have contributed to their success. Students at the end of the term were asked to provide recommendations to future A &P students on how to be successful in the course. A total of 408 recommendations from 68 students were received and underwent inductive and then deductive coding. More than 50% of respondents encouraged group studying and frequent engagement with material. The ranked and coded list of recommendations was then provided to the entering student at the start of the new term. Entering students were subsequently polled to gauge perceptions/reactions to this information. 91% of entering A&P students (n = 73) responded that they valued receiving study recommendations at the start of the term 59% of which said they preferred having that information come from former students rather than the faculty. Following the 1st lecture examination these students completed an Ink Shedding activity in which they shared exam studying strategies with their peers. Of the 62 participants 80% both found the activity helpful and recommended it be incorporated into future semesters. Collectively this data supports the perceived value of offering study skill resources to upper division A&P students and a positive reaction to peer guidance. Student performance improved on embedded course assessments. This information has been used to further develop peer mentoring programs and resource collaboration within the A&P lecture and laboratory curriculum. This research was supported by a UWL FY2023 Course Improvement Grant and a University of Wisconsin System IDEAS Alliance Curriculum Reform Grant. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Study of Anatomical Divergences in Facial Artery Endings

Facial artery supplies musculocutaneous tissue, visceral organs, and salivary glands at the upper cervical and facial level. This artery has wide range of anatomical variations in its course. Objective: To find the anatomical divergences in facial artery endings. Methods: It is a cross sectional study conducted at Jinnah international hospital, Abbottabad from January 2023 to July 2023 for duration of 6 months after taking approval from the ethical review committee. A group of 86 people were selected and anatomical course of facial artery was categorized in to four types. Angiographic images of each participant were evaluated by radiologist to categorize the course of facial artery. Results: The average Body Mass Index (BMI) of the participants was 28.3 ± 5.6. The study of angiographic images has concluded that 38.37% (n=33) has Type I course of facial artery, 47.67% (n=41) participants has Type II, 9.3% (n=8) participants has Type III and 4.65% (n=4) has Type IV category (p=0.01. Of the type I category of facial artery, 5 (15.2%) participants met the criteria of type IA, 7(21.2%) has Type IB and 21(63.6%) participants Type IC course of facial artery (p=0.01). Conclusions: This study has concluded that there exists vast variation in the anatomical course of facial artery in local population that streamlines with other studies conducted internationally. Facial artery with a nasal branch with or without alar endings is the most common anatomical variation.

Enhancing Gross Anatomy Courses in Occupational Therapy with 3D Applications: An Assessment of Effectiveness

Traditional teaching methods, such as two-dimensional PowerPoint presentations, are prevalent in anatomy education but must provide an in-depth perception of anatomical structures. This article discusses integrating 3D anatomy application in an Occupational Therapy course as an advanced technique for anatomical learning. The "Complete 3D Anatomy" app was employed to facilitate the teaching of anatomy structures. Students from 2 different cohorts, 93 from 2022 and 96 from 2023 test scores, were considered in this endeavor. The 2022 group used the 3-D app on their own time, compared to the 2023 group, who were required to use it in class for every lecture by the instructor. Results showed improvement in their test score from 71% (2022) to 87% (2023), with the integration of the 3-D as a class activity. Based on these results, it is concluded that the 3D anatomy app is an essential tool for comprehensive anatomical learning. For future courses, there is a plan to integrate further and assess the benefits of requiring students to employ a tablet or iPad equipped with 3D apps, along with a virtual dissection table to complement teaching and learning enterprises in the human cadaver laboratory.

Interprofessional socialization of first-year medical and midwifery students: effects of an ultra-brief anatomy training

BackgroundInterprofessionalism is considered a key component in modern health profession education. Nevertheless, there remains ongoing debate about when and where to introduce interprofessional trainings in the curriculum. We identified anatomy, a subject commonly shared among health professionals, as a practical choice for initiating early intergroup-contact between first-year medical and midwifery students. Our study examined the effects of a four-hour block course in anatomy on interprofessional socialization and valuing, as well as long-term effects on intergroup contact.MethodsBased on different concepts and theories of learning, we implemented 12 interprofessional learning stations. Several measures were taken to foster group cohesion: (1) self-directed working in interprofessional tandems on authentic obstetric tasks, (2) competing with other tandems, (3) creating positive interdependencies during task completion, and (4) allowing room for networking. In a pre-post design with a three-month follow-up, we assessed the outcomes of this ultra-brief training with qualitative essays and quantitative scales.ResultsAfter training, both groups improved in interprofessionalism scores with strong effect sizes, mean difference in ISVS-21 = 0.303 [95% CI: 0.120, 0.487], P < .001, η² = 0.171, while the scales measuring uniprofessional identity were unaffected, mean difference in MCPIS = 0.033 [95% CI: -0.236, 0.249], P = .789. A follow-up indicated that these positive short-term effects on the ISVS-21 scale diminished after 12 weeks to baseline levels, yet, positive intergroup contact was still reported. The qualitative findings revealed that, at this initial stage of their professional identity development, both medical and midwifery students considered interprofessionalism, teamwork and social competencies to be of importance for their future careers.ConclusionThis study advocates for an early implementation of interprofessional learning objectives in anatomical curricula. Young health profession students are receptive to interprofessional collaboration at this initial stage of their professional identity and derive strong advantages from a concise training approach. Yet, maintaining these gains over time may require ongoing support and reinforcement, such as through longitudinal curricula. We believe that an interprofessional socialization at an early stage can help break down barriers, and help to avoid conflicts that may arise during traditional monoprofessional curricula.

Is the collateral circulation pattern in the hard palate affected by cleft deformity?

ObjectivesTo evaluate the influence of collateral vascularization on surgical cleft palate closure and deformities.Materials and methodsCorrosion casting was performed using red-colored acrylic resin in twelve fresh adult cadavers with a normal hard palate. Additionally, white-colored barium sulfate was injected into a fetus with a unilateral complete cleft palate, and layer-by-layer tissue dissection was performed. Both substances were injected into the external carotid arteries. Corrosion casting involved dissolving the soft and hard tissues of the orofacial area utilizing an enzymatic solution.ResultsIn normal palates, bilateral intraosseous infraorbital arteries formed a network in the premaxilla with the intraosseous nasopalatine- and greater palatine arteries (GPAs). The perforating GPAs anastomosed with the sphenopalatine artery sub-branches. Bilateral extraosseous GPA anastomoses penetrated the median palatine suture. Complex vascularization in the retrotuberal area was detected. In the cleft zone, anastomoses were omitted, whereas in the non-cleft zone, enlarged GPAs were distributed along the cleft edges and followed the anatomical course anteriorly to initiate the network with facial artery sub-branches.ConclusionsThe anatomical subunits of the palate exhibited distinct anastomosis patterns. Despite omitted anastomoses with collateral circulation in the cleft zone, arteries maintained their anatomical pattern as seen in the normal specimen in the non-cleft zone.Clinical relevanceBased on the findings in normal- and cleft palates, surgeons may expect developed anastomosis patterns in the non-cleft zone. Due to the lack of microcirculation in the cleft zone, the existent anastomoses should be maintained as much as possible by the surgical technique. This applies anteriorly in the incisive canal territory, alveolar ridges, and posteriorly in the retrotuberal area.

A method for assessing student ability to apply anatomical knowledge within a traditional anatomy laboratory examination.

Fidelity between teaching activities and assessment methods is an important goal of knowledge and performance evaluations in medical education. Ideally, assessment methods provide evidence of learning that reflects the types of knowledge described in the learning objectives of the course. The most reliable assessments involve the same or similar tasks as those used during the instructional components of the course. Our preclinical human anatomy course includes, in addition to traditional lecture and cadaver-based laboratory learning activities, a series of applied human anatomy learning activities intended to emphasize human anatomy as it is encountered in living human individuals. The learning activities involve psychomotor behaviors including inspection, palpation, and auscultation, techniques used in the physical examination, as well as other activities designed to emphasize anatomical structures and tissues as they may be found in patient populations. We describe here our method for measuring student success in learning human anatomy in this manner, highlighting the direct linkage between the learning activities and the assessment tasks. We describe our performance scoring method and how we include this data in the calculation of an anatomy examination grade. As an indicator of our success with this approach, we include performance scores for the applied anatomy questions included on the laboratory component of our unit examinations for two successive academic years. We conclude with summary comments from students regarding the applied anatomy learning activities and assessment approach and offer suggestions for addressing specific challenges associated with the use of these types of assessment methods.

Expressing the Complexities of the Student-Cadaver Relationship Through Visual Artwork.

Many physician assistant (PA) students first encounter death in the earliest days of their training when working with cadavers in the gross anatomy laboratory. Developing a deep knowledge of human anatomy is fundamental to health profession training programs and modern medical practice. Despite decreased laboratory hours and integration of technology and diagnostic imaging into modern anatomy courses, there remains value in the cadaver dissection experience. Medical learners experience diverse and complex feelings toward cadavers; learning to regulate one's personal responses within the anatomy laboratory is a skill that can be extrapolated to clinical practice. Art is one way for students to process their experiences with cadavers, and creating art for cadaver memorial ceremonies is an opportunity for student emotional processing while honoring the lives of their cadaveric teachers. A PA program in New England incorporated student art into a cadaver memorial ceremony, with 4 pieces of artwork and corresponding artist statements from that ceremony included in this piece. The works of art are visually diverse, but there is a shared sentiment in the artist statements of reflection, awe, appreciation, and humanity. Encouraging students to process complex experiences artistically may provide an enduring practice throughout a career in medicine.

Preoperative prolapse phenotype is predictive of surgical outcome with minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy

The gold-standard treatment for advanced pelvic organ prolapse is sacrocolpopexy. However, the preoperative features of prolapse that predict optimal outcomes are unknown. This study aimed to develop a clinical prediction model that uses preoperative scores on the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examination to predict outcomes after minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy for stages 2, 3, and 4 uterovaginal prolapse and vaginal vault prolapse. A 2-institution database of pre- and postoperative variables from 881 cases of minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy was analyzed. Data from patients were analyzed in the following 4 groups: stage 2 uterovaginal prolapse, stage 3 to 4 uterovaginal prolapse, stage 2 vaginal vault prolapse, and stage 3 to 4 vaginal vault prolapse. Unsupervised machine learning was used to identify clusters and investigate associations between clusters and outcome. The k-means clustering analysis was performed with preoperative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification points and stratified by previous hysterectomy status. The "optimal" surgical outcome was defined as postoperative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage <2. Demographic variables were compared by cluster with Student t and chi-square tests. Odds ratios were calculated to determine whether clusters could predict the outcome. Age at surgery, body mass index, and previous prolapse surgery were used for adjusted odds ratios. Five statistically distinct prolapse clusters (phenotypes C, A, A>P, P, and P>A) were found. These phenotypes reflected the predominant region of prolapse (apical, anterior, or posterior) and whether support was preserved in the nonpredominant region. Phenotype A (anterior compartment prolapse predominant, posterior support preserved) was found in all 4 groups of patients and was considered the reference in the analysis. In 111 patients with stage 2 uterovaginal prolapse, phenotypes A and A>P (greater anterior prolapse than posterior prolapse) were found, and patients with phenotype A were more likely than those with phenotype A>P to have an optimal surgical outcome. In 401 patients with stage 3 to 4 uterovaginal prolapse, phenotypes C (apical compartment predominant, prolapse in all compartments), A, and A>P were found, and patients with phenotype A>P were more likely than those with phenotype A to have ideal surgical outcome. In 72 patients with stage 2 vaginal vault prolapse, phenotypes A, A>P, and P (posterior compartment predominant, anterior support preserved) were found, and those with phenotype A>P were less likely to have an ideal outcome than patients with phenotype A. In 297 patients with stage 3 to 4 vaginal vault prolapse, phenotypes C, A, and P>A (prolapse greater in posterior than in anterior compartment) were found, but there were no significant differences in rate of ideal outcome between phenotypes. Five anatomic phenotypes based on preoperative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification scores were present in patients with stages 2 and 3 to 4 uterovaginal prolapse and vaginal vault prolapse. These phenotypes are predictive of surgical outcome after minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy. Further work needs to confirm the presence and predictive nature of these phenotypes. In addition, whether the phenotypes represent a progression of prolapse or discrete prolapse presentations resulting from different anatomic and life course risk profiles is unknown. These phenotypes may be useful in surgical counseling and planning.

Anatomy beyond the pandemic: A Q-methodology study exploring student perceptions toward a hybrid curriculum.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, anatomy education was forced to adopt online modes of delivery. Previous research on student views revealed areas of strong preference (asynchronous lectures) and strong dislike (virtual specimens) in online anatomy courses. The current study seeks to compare the views of a single cohort of students experiencing both online and in-person undergraduate introductory anatomy and physiology courses. This comparison can highlight what students consider beneficial to their education and can inform future hybrid course offerings. Q-methodology was used to assess the opinions of students. Students sorted 41 statements on anatomy education in a quasi-normally distributed grid based on their degree of agreement with the statements. The rankings underwent a by-person factor analysis which categorized students with shared perceptions into groups. Data were collected from 246 students in the primarily online fall semester and 191 students in the primarily in-person winter semester. Analysis revealed three distinct factors (groups) in the cohort. Factor one (n = 113 (fall), n = 93 (winter)), was satisfied overall with the course materials and delivery. Factor two (n = 52 (fall), n = 18 (winter)) had a deep dislike of online learning, and factor three (n = 37 (fall), n = 49 (winter)) had a strong preference for online learning. While many students were comfortable in both online and in-person learning environments, this was not the case for all learners. The strengths and weaknesses of each teaching modality suggest the opportunity to explore hybrid learning as an option for future course offerings and specifically highlight valuable aspects to incorporate from each environment.

Use of Consistent Formative Assessments to Engage Students in a Second Semester Human Anatomy and Physiology Course

Use of Consistent Formative Assessments to Engage Students in a Second Semester Human Anatomy and Physiology Course

Nursing students' experiences with test-enhanced learning in teams: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundMany nursing students struggle with the disciplines of biosciences, particularly Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, which are introduced in the first year. Nursing students' motivation, prior knowledge, and academic performance matter, but teaching methods may also influence students' learning process. Retrieving knowledge through testing has previously proven to enhance learning to a greater extent than time spent on other classroom activities. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences with test-enhanced learning as a way of enhancing learning in Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. DesignThe lectures in each topic were followed by testing five days later. The tests were typically multiple-choice tests with short reply-times. The effect was measured in terms of students' self-reported level of satisfaction with test-enhanced learning, and their performance on the final exam in Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. The tests were performed in teams to avoid stressful situations that could negatively affect the students' learning process. ResultsA key achievement from introducing test-enhanced learning in the Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry course was a perceived higher learning outcome and increased engagement and motivation among the students, resulting in resulting in more students achieving the highest grades (A and B). However, the students' academic results from upper secondary school also seemed to matter for their achievements on the final exam. ConclusionThese results indicated that many students benefited from test-enhanced learning, suggesting that test-enhanced learning can be an important teaching strategy in nursing education, particularly for biosciences.