Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
J Surg Educ. 2023 Jul;80(7):1028-1038. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.04.005. Epub 2023 May 5.
Immersive virtual reality (IVR) technology is transforming medical education. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of IVR with cadaveric bone models in teaching skeletal anatomy.
A randomized crossover noninferiority trial was conducted.
Anatomy laboratory of a large medical school.
Incoming first-year medical students. Participants were randomized to IVR or cadaveric groups studying upper limb skeletal anatomy, and then were crossed over to use the opposite tool, to study lower limb skeletal anatomy. Participants in both groups completed a pre-and postintervention knowledge test. The primary endpoint of the study was change in performance from the pre-to postintervention knowledge test. Surveys were completed to assess participant's impressions on IVR as an educational tool.
Fifty first-year medical students met inclusion criteria and were randomized. Among all students, the average score on the preintervention knowledge test was 14.6% (standard deviation (SD) = 18.2%) and 25.0% (SD = 17%) for upper and lower limbs, respectively. Percentage increase in scores between pre-and postintervention knowledge test, was 15.0% in the upper limb IVR group, and 16.7% for upper limb cadaveric bones (p = 0.286). For the lower limb, score increase was 22.6% in the IVR and 22.5% in the cadaveric bone group (p = 0.936). 79% of participants found that IVR was most valuable for teaching 3-dimensional orientation, anatomical relationships, and key landmarks. Majority of participants were favorable towards combination use of traditional methods and IVR technology for learning skeletal anatomy (LSM>3).
In this randomized controlled trial, there was no significant difference in knowledge after using IVR or cadaveric bones for skeletal anatomy education. These findings have further implications for medical schools that face challenges in acquiring human cadavers and cadaveric parts.
沉浸式虚拟现实（IVR）技术正在改变医学教育。我们的目的是比较 IVR 与尸体骨骼模型在教授骨骼解剖学方面的效果。
进行了一项随机交叉非劣效性试验。
一所大型医学院的解剖实验室。
即将入学的一年级医学生。参与者被随机分配到 IVR 或尸体组，分别学习上肢骨骼解剖学，然后交叉使用相反的工具，学习下肢骨骼解剖学。两组参与者都完成了干预前后的知识测试。研究的主要终点是从干预前知识测试到干预后知识测试的表现变化。完成了调查以评估参与者对 IVR 作为教育工具的印象。
50 名一年级医学生符合纳入标准并被随机分配。在所有学生中，干预前知识测试的平均分数为 14.6%（标准差（SD）=18.2%），上肢和下肢分别为 25.0%（SD=17%）。上肢 IVR 组干预前后知识测试的分数增加百分比为 15.0%，上肢尸体骨骼为 16.7%（p=0.286）。对于下肢，IVR 组的分数增加为 22.6%，尸体骨骼组为 22.5%（p=0.936）。79%的参与者认为 IVR 最有助于教授 3 维方向、解剖关系和关键标志。大多数参与者赞成将传统方法与 IVR 技术结合用于学习骨骼解剖学（LSM>3）。
在这项随机对照试验中，使用 IVR 或尸体骨骼进行骨骼解剖学教育后，知识没有显著差异。这些发现对面临获取人体尸体和尸体部位挑战的医学院具有进一步的意义。
