Possibilities for the use of Anatomage (the Anatomical Real Body-Size Table) for Teaching and Learning Anatomy with the Students

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to describe and explain our experience with Anatomage table in the process of teaching and learning anatomy to medicine students who are preparing as military physicians. Anatomage combines stereoscopic images of the whole body with software in order to build a 3-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the different human body parts. These images were taken from two cadavers, male and female, who were frozen and cut into sections to allow for virtual dissection and reconstruction of the human body. Users can visualize anatomy exactly as they would on a fresh cadaver. The table allows for exploration and learning of human anatomy beyond the experience with a cadaver. It is possible to cut away from the body surface to the inner body using a scalpel, as well as to watch images of 3-D sections in the three spatial planes.We described the importance of dissection in practical anatomy teaching, and the large number of body donations needed. Thus, many authors have proposed different solutions, such as software with reconstructions of the human body. Anatomage allows for anatomy teaching and learning in an interactive way. Students can practice actively and take the images watched in a practical session with them in a storage device, in order to study and discuss them later in a lecture. Anatomage is also used for practical anatomy exams to students. Despite being rather costly, it stimulates the learning of anatomy by being directly used by students in various ways.