Efficacy of plastinated specimens in anatomy education: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Plastination, a permanent preservation method for human tissues and organs, is increasingly being used in anatomy education. However, there is a paucity of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses summarizing the educational efficacy of plastinated specimens. This meta‐analysis compared the assessment scores of students exposed to plastinated specimens against those exposed to other common instructional methods. A systematic search was conducted through four databases, from 2000 to July 2022. Titles and abstracts of the retrieved records were screened according to predetermined eligibility criteria. Of the 159 records screened, 18 were subjected to full‐text review. Among the 18 studies, five articles reported post‐intervention test scores for intervention (plastinated) and control (other modalities) groups. Studies were subjected to GRADE quality assessment, and four studies with moderate to high ratings were included for meta‐analysis. Students' perceptions (n = 15 studies) were qualitatively analyzed using an inductive narrative analysis. No significant effect was detected between the intervention (n = 417) and control groups (n = 422) (standardized mean difference = 0.08; 95% CI [−0.36, 0.52]; p = 0.73). Four themes emerged from students' perceptions: ease of use, motivation to study, spatial understanding, and learning preference. Overall, student performance outcomes comparing the use of plastinated specimens versus other instructional modalities are very limited. This meta‐analysis suggests that knowledge gained from plastinated specimens is comparable to learning achieved through other modalities; though this outcome should be interpreted with caution as there is currently insufficient evidence for definitive conclusions.

Effectiveness and satisfaction with virtual and donor dissections: A randomized controlled trial

“…Previous studies have reported the application of the ADDIE model to anatomy education, but there is a paucity of research on detailed digital anatomy curricula. In addition, several meta-analyses have shown no statistical difference in student performance scores when comparing traditional anatomy to other anatomy resources 37 , 38 . This highlights that pedagogical goals and methods of application may have a greater impact on student learning outcomes than the inherent characteristics of the teaching method.…”