A Three‐Dimensional Print Model of the Pterygopalatine Fossa Significantly Enhances the Learning Experience

The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a bilateral space deep within the skull that serves as a major neurovascular junction. However, its small volume and poor accessibility make it a difficult space to comprehend using two‐dimensional illustrations and cadaveric dissections. A three‐dimensional (3D) p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anatomical sciences education 2020-09, Vol.13 (5), p.568-580
Main Authors: Tanner, Jordan A., Jethwa, Beeran, Jackson, Jeff, Bartanuszova, Maria, King, Thomas S., Bhattacharya, Arunabh, Sharma, Ramaswamy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3-D printers
3D printed models
3D printing
Academic Achievement
Adolescent
Adult
Anatomy
Anatomy & physiology
Anatomy - education
Computer Peripherals
Control Groups
Effect Size
gross anatomy education
Human Body
Humans
kinesthetic learning
Laboratory Procedures
Learning
Likert Scales
Male
Medical Education
Middle Aged
Printing
Printing, Three-Dimensional
pterygopalatine fossa
Pterygopalatine Fossa - anatomy & histology
self‐directed learning
Skeletal system
Student Satisfaction
Teaching Methods
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a bilateral space deep within the skull that serves as a major neurovascular junction. However, its small volume and poor accessibility make it a difficult space to comprehend using two‐dimensional illustrations and cadaveric dissections. A three‐dimensional (3D) printed model of the PPF was developed as a visual and kinesthetic learning tool for completely visualizing the fossa, its boundaries, its communicating channels, and its neurovascular structures. The model was evaluated by analyzing student performance on pre‐ and post‐quizzes and a student satisfaction survey based on the five‐point Likert scale. The first cohort comprised of 88 students who had never before studied the PPF. The second cohort consisted of 30 students who were previously taught the PPF. Each cohort was randomly divided into a control group who were provided with a half skull and an intervention group that were provided with the 3D printed model. The intervention group performed significantly better on the post‐quiz as compared to the control group in cohort I (P = 0.001); while not significant, it also improved learning in cohort II students (P = 0.124). Satisfaction surveys indicated that the intervention group found the 3D printed model to be significantly more useful (P 
ISSN:1935-9772
1935-9780
DOI:10.1002/ase.1942