Clinical relevance of cadaver dissection of the root of the neck

Abstract

An essential issue in anatomy education is to determine the method of teaching that produces the most effective clinicians (McLachlan & Patten, 2006). One question is whether students can apply knowledge gained through dissection in a clinical setting? To address this we designed an experiment to test whether a modified dissection of the root of the neck can help students remember, understand, and apply anatomy relevant to clinical procedures such as subclavian and internal jugular venous cannulation or brachial plexus blocks. The modified dissection involved complete removal of the clavicle by disarticulating the SC and AC joints, rather than cutting it at its midlength and leaving much of it in place. When performed with care, this results in the clear exposure of structures such as subclavian vessels, brachial plexus, and phrenic nerve. We plan to test our question using assessment at three cognitive levels: (1) Remember [e.g., Identify the structure]; (2) Understand [e.g., Which nerve(s) could be stimulated by a needle inserted into the skin over the internal jugular vein?] and (3) Apply [e.g., On an undissected cadaver, show the position of the entry site at which you would introduce a needle to start a subclavian venous line.].