An Insight Into Veterinary Students' Perceptions on the Use of 3D-Printed Bone Biomodels in Anatomy Learning

Abstract

Today, conventional teaching methods are losing their effectiveness at transferring knowledge and skills, prompting the presentation of alternative strategies that hold more promise. One of the innovative alternative education materials in veterinary anatomy education is the models produced on three-dimensional (3D) printers. The subject of this study is 4 different bone biomodels 3D modeled and printed with reference to cadaver-derived bones. In the study, a total of 298 students were asked to evaluate these biomodels in terms of their similarity to the reference bones. According to the survey, 75.5% of the students stated that their biomodel resembled the reference bones. In addition, 64.8% of these students stated that the use of biomodels can be efficient in learning the skeletal system. These outcomes showed that a sample from each of the 4 main bone types could be replicated on a 3D printer with an acceptable similarity ratio. Based on student opinions about these four different biomodels, we think that 3d printed biomodels deserve to be evaluated as an alternative in anatomy education.