SynthesisBMC medical education2023
3D printing as a pedagogical tool for teaching normal human anatomy: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC medical education, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
23 citing papers in PubMed, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- Teaching abdominal aorta anatomy applied to clinical practice through active methodology and 3D printing.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2025Trial
- Lecture, model, or both? Optimizing fracture education with 3D printing: a longitudinal interventional study.3D printing in medicine · 2026Article
- Negative-space 3D printed reconstruction of the pterygopalatine fossa: anatomical design and educational evaluation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- A Reliable Low-Cost Three-Dimensional (3D)-Printed Brachial Plexus Model for Enhanced Anatomical Learning.Cureus · 2026Article
- Current 3D Printing Technologies and their Potential Applications in Drug Delivery, Personalized Medicine & Pharmaceutical Sciences.Current drug discovery technologies · 2026Review
- 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
- A global overview of anatomical science education and its present and future role in biomedical curricula.Anatomical sciences education · 2026Review
- Experience-stratified efficacy of 3D printed models in assisting orthopedic residents with pelvic ring injury classification: a comparative analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Observational
- Anatomy at the threshold: Teaching the human body in a hybrid age.Anatomical sciences education · 2025Article
- An evaluation of the use of 3D-printed anatomical models in anatomy education.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2025Article
- Young anatomists perceptions of aorta-celiac trunk models and their use in anatomical education training.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2025Article
- A scoping review of literature about 3D printing: knowledge, skills and attitude for simulation educators in healthcare.3D printing in medicine · 2025Review
- Comparing the Effectiveness of Digital 3D PDF vs. 3D-Printed Heart Models as Learning Aids for Echocardiography in Medical Students.Medical science educator · 2025Article
- The Impact of Low-Fidelity Three-Dimensional-Printed Models of the Equine Distal Limb and the Canine Forelimb in Teaching Veterinary Anatomy in Practical Classes.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- The Application of CT 3D Reconstruction and 3D Printing Technology Combined with CBL Teaching Mode in the Clinical Teaching of Joint Orthopedics.Advances in medical education and practice · 2025Article
- Application of 3D printing technology in the surgical management of advanced ovarian serous carcinoma: a case report.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- From virtual to reality: application of a novel 3D printing hollow model for early-stage lung cancer in the clinical teaching of thoracoscopic sublobar resection.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- Synthetic 3D printed tibial plateau with gradient material properties for biomechanical accuracy.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThree-dimensional-printed anatomical models (3DPAMs) appear to be a relevant tool due to their educational value and their feasibility. The objectives of this review were to describe and analyse the methods utilised for creating 3DPAMs used in teaching human anatomy and for evaluating its pedagogical contribution.
methodsAn electronic search was conducted on PubMed using the following terms: education, school, learning, teaching, learn, teach, educational, three-dimensional, 3D, 3-dimensional, printing, printed, print, anatomy, anatomical, anatomically, and anatomic. Data retrieved included study characteristics, model design, morphological evaluation, educational performance, advantages, and disadvantages.
resultsOf the 68 articles selected, the cephalic region was the most studied (33 articles); 51 articles mentioned bone printing. In 47 articles, the 3DPAM was designed from CT scans. Five printing processes were listed. Plastic and its derivatives were used in 48 studies. The cost per design ranged from 1.25 USD to 2800 USD. Thirty-seven studies compared 3DPAM to a reference model. Thirty-three articles investigated educational performance. The main advantages were visual and haptic qualities, effectiveness for teaching, reproducibility, customizability and manipulability, time savings, integration of functional anatomy, better mental rotation ability, knowledge retention, and educator/student satisfaction. The main disadvantages were related to the design: consistency, lack of detail or transparency, overly bright colours, long printing time, and high cost.
conclusionThis systematic review demonstrates that 3DPAMs are feasible at a low cost and effective for teaching anatomy. More realistic models require access to more expensive 3D printing technologies and substantially longer design time, which would greatly increase the overall cost. Choosing an appropriate image acquisition modality is key. From a pedagogical viewpoint, 3DPAMs are effective tools for teaching anatomy, positively impacting the learning outcomes and satisfaction level. The pedagogical effectiveness of 3DPAMs seems to be best when they reproduce complex anatomical areas, and they are used by students early in their medical studies.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.