SynthesisBMC medical education2020
The role of 3D printed models in the teaching of human anatomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC medical education, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 82 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
82 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Imaging-based 3D-printed anatomical models for preoperative planning in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery: a single-center pilot study, cost analysis, and systematic review.La Radiologia medica · 2026Pooled it
- 3D visualization technology for Learning human anatomy among medical students and residents: a meta- and regression analysis.BMC medical education · 2024Pooled it
- 3D printing as a pedagogical tool for teaching normal human anatomy: a systematic review.BMC medical education · 2023Pooled it
- A systematic review of the application of 3D-printed models to colorectal surgical training.Techniques in coloproctology · 2023Pooled it
- Role of 3D printing technology in paediatric teaching and training: a systematic review.BMJ paediatrics open · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluating the educational impact of tomography-based high-resolution 3D-printed distal radius fracture models.BMC medical education · 2025Trial
- A novel paradigm in cleft lip education: integration of 3D-printed simulator and problem-based learning.BMC medical education · 2025Trial
- Teaching abdominal aorta anatomy applied to clinical practice through active methodology and 3D printing.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2025Trial
- Development of a Cost-Effective 3D-Printed Airway Suction Simulator for Respiratory Therapy Students.Respiratory care · 2024Trial
- Students' learning experiences of three-dimensional printed models and plastinated specimens: a qualitative analysis.BMC medical education · 2022Trial
- Utility of 3-Dimensional Printed Models for Distal Radius Fracture Classification.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2026Observational
- 3D-Printed Models as Catalysts for Neuroanatomy Learning: An Immersive Educational Experience for Medical Students.Cureus · 2026Article
- Lecture, model, or both? Optimizing fracture education with 3D printing: a longitudinal interventional study.3D printing in medicine · 2026Article
- Next generation open access visualization of neuroanatomy through 3D modeling and 3D printing.Anatomical sciences education · 2026Review
- The use of 3-dimensional (3D) printing in teaching musculoskeletal oncology for medical undergraduates.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Plastinated sectional anatomy applied in CT and MRI studies of the body of the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous).Scientific reports · 2026Article
- 3D printed and virtual kidney models as learning tools to improve anatomical and spatial understanding of renal tumors: a pilot educational study (Rein-3D print students - UroCCR 219).3D printing in medicine · 2026Article
- A Reliable Low-Cost Three-Dimensional (3D)-Printed Brachial Plexus Model for Enhanced Anatomical Learning.Cureus · 2026Article
- Implementing low-cost 3D-printed brain coloring activities in neuroanatomy teaching for medical students in Singapore: a cross-sectional study.Journal of educational evaluation for health professions · 2026Article
- Integrating three-dimensional (3D)-printed teaching models to improve the learning effectiveness of oral pathology: A teaching practice research project.Journal of dental sciences · 2026Article
22 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThree-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology widely used in medical education. However, its role in the teaching of human anatomy needs further evaluation.
methodsPubMed, Embase, EBSCO, SpringerLink, and Nature databases were searched systematically for studies published from January 2011 to April 2020 in the English language. GRADEprofiler software was used to evaluate the quality of literature. In this study, a meta-analysis of continuous and binary data was conducted. Both descriptive and statistical analyses were used.
resultsComparing the post-training tests in neuroanatomy, cardiac anatomy, and abdominal anatomy, the standardized mean difference (SMD) of the 3D group and the conventional group were 1.27, 0.37, and 2.01, respectively (p < 0.05). For 3D vs. cadaver and 3D vs. 2D, the SMD were 0.69 and 1.05, respectively (p < 0.05). For answering time, the SMD of the 3D group vs. conventional group was - 0.61 (P < 0.05). For 3D print usefulness, RR = 2.29(P < 0.05). Five of the six studies showed that satisfaction of the 3D group was higher than that of the conventional group. Two studies showed that accuracy of answering questions in the 3D group was higher than that in the conventional group.
conclusionsCompared with students in the conventional group, those in the 3D printing group had advantages in accuracy and answering time. In the test of anatomical knowledge, the test results of students in the 3D group were not inferior (higher or equal) to those in the conventional group. The post-training test results of the 3D group were higher than those in the cadaver or 2D group. More students in the 3D printing group were satisfied with their learning compared with the conventional group. The results could be influenced by the quality of the randomized controlled trials. In a framework of ethical rigor, the application of the 3D printing model in human anatomy teaching is expected to grow further.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.