Learning anatomy of the foot and ankle using sagittal plastinates: A prospective randomized educational trial

Background: Foot and ankle anatomy is highly complex and presents a considerable educational challenge for the medical student or junior doctor. The successful interpretation of cross-sectional radiological images requires a detailed knowledge of anatomy and spatial relationships. Plastic-impregnated cadaveric prosection slices, known as 'sagittal plastinated slices', or 'SPS', are becoming popular as an adjunct to traditional anatomical teaching methods.

Objectives: To compare the impact of SPS versus conventional anatomy teaching resources (dry bones and whole cadaveric feet) on learners' ability to correctly identify structures of the foot and ankle on sagittal MRI images.

Methods: Randomized educational study using sequential exploratory mixed-methods.

Results: The intervention group anatomy test scores were a mean of 1.2 higher after the educational intervention, compared to 0.7 for the control group (scores out of 14), but this was not statistically significant (p=0.41). Learners reported that the SPS intervention was most useful to augment and refine their knowledge after a teaching session using conventional resources.

Conclusion: The qualitative results showed that SPS provide a valuable adjunct to traditional teaching methods in both anatomy and radiology of the foot and ankle, which should be used after teaching with traditional methods.