Trial reportBMC medical education2023
Effectiveness of using 2D atlas and 3D PDF as a teaching tool in anatomy lectures in initial learners: a randomized controlled trial in a medical school.
Trial report 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 8 papers.
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
8 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- 3D-Printed Models as Catalysts for Neuroanatomy Learning: An Immersive Educational Experience for Medical Students.Cureus · 2026Article
- Evaluating knowledge acquisition, confidence, and cognitive workload in immersive virtual reality anatomy education: a prospective study of medical students.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2026Article
- A preliminary comparison of bellringer performance across three visual modalities for the assessment of anatomy knowledge.Anatomical sciences education · 2026Article
- Use of Virtual Technology in Teaching Human Anatomy in Medical Schools: A Systematic Review.Cureus · 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
- A new classmate in anatomy education: 3D anatomical modeling medical students' engagement on learning through self-prepared anatomical models.Anatomical sciences education · 2025Review
- 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
- Investigation of the Clinical Value of Four Visualization Modalities for Congenital Heart Disease.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAnatomy is a crucial part of medical education, and there have been attempts to improve this field by utilizing various methods. With the advancement of technology, three-dimensional (3D) materials have gained popularity and become a matter of debate about their effectiveness compared to two-dimensional (2D) sources. This research aims to analyze the effectiveness of 3D PDFs compared to 2D atlases.
methodsThis study is a randomized controlled trial involving 87 Year-1 and Year-2 medical students at Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey. The study was conducted in two steps. In Step-1, students were randomized to watch lecture videos on liver anatomy and male genitalia anatomy supplemented with either a 3D PDF (intervention group) or 2D atlas (control group) images. Following the video lectures, a test (immediate test) was administered. In Step-2, the same test (delayed test) was administered 10 days after the immediate test. The test scores were compared between the intervention and control groups. In addition to the descriptive analyses, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed.
resultsIn the immediate test, while there was no significant difference between the groups for the liver test (p > 0.05), 3D PDF group's scores (Median = 24.50) was significantly higher than the 2D atlas group's in the genitalia test (Median = 21.00), (p = 0.017). The effect size (Cohen's d) was 0.57. In the delayed test, there was no significant difference between the groups in the liver and genitalia tests (p > 0.05). However, the effect size in the immediate genitalia test was 0.40. Year-1 students' immediate test of genitalia performances were significantly higher in the 3D PDF group (Median = 24.00) than the 2D atlas group (Median = 19.00), (p = 0.016). The effect size was 0.76. Also, Year-1 students' 3D PDF group (Median = 20.50) presented with significantly higher performance than the 2D atlas group (Median = 12.00), (p = 0.044) in the delayed test of genitalia, with the 0.63 effect size.
conclusion3D PDF is more effective than 2D atlases in teaching anatomy, especially to initial learners. It is particularly useful for teaching complex anatomical structures, such as male genitalia, compared to the liver. Hence, it may be a valuable tool for medical teachers to utilize during lectures.
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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.