Defining the Components of the Deltoid Ligament (DL): A Cadaveric Study.

BACKGROUND: The deltoid ligament (DL) is a strong triangle-shaped ligament with a complex fascicular arrangement. Understanding the morphological and/or functional typing of the DL structure is hindered by a paucity of clear, quantitative, and reproducible data and is further complicated by inconsistent terminology use. The aim of this work was to describe different components of the DL using strict identification criteria. METHODS: Thirty embalmed cadaveric ankles of both sides were dissected on all sides and studied by using gross examination, micro-dissection, and light microscopy by tracing the fascicular pattern of each under 6X magnification. RESULTS: Six ligamentous bands were identified. The tibiotalocalcaneal ligament (TTC) and the superficial posterior tibiotalar ligament (sPTT) were two superficial variants and the anterior tibiotalar ligament (ATT), the anterior tibiotalonavicular ligament (ATTN), the intermediate tibiotalar ligament (ITT), and the deep posterior tibiotalar ligament (dPTT) were four deep variants. The TTC was identified in all 30 embalmed cadaveric specimens. Five additional ligamentous bands (ITT, sPTT, dPTT, ATT, and ATTN) were variable findings in the current cohort. CONCLUSION: This study presents six ligamentous bands as a regular finding and five additional ligamentous bands as variable findings in the dissected specimen. This data could assist in the radiological diagnosis of DL injuries and advanced procedures related to its surgical repair and reconstruction.

Three-dimensional Virtual Reality as an Innovative Teaching and Learning Tool for Human Anatomy Courses in Medical Education: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction Poor knowledge retention is one reason for medical student attrition in learning and has been a huge concern in medical education. Three-dimensional virtual reality (3D-VR)-based teaching and learning in medical education has been promoted to improve student learning outcomes. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of 3D-VR in knowledge retention in human anatomy courses as compared to traditional teaching methods among medical students. Methods A convergent mixed methods design was utilized to evaluate learning outcomes in terms of short- and long-term knowledge retention scores among students using 3D-VR and those using traditional models and to describe students' experiences and views of the use of 3D-VR as a teaching and learning tool. Results Male students who used the 3D-VR tool had significantly higher short- and long-term knowledge scores than males who used the traditional methods. Meanwhile, females who used traditional methods showed significantly higher short-term knowledge scores than females who used 3D-VR. Conclusion Medical students described 3D-VR as a learning tool with a great deal to offer for learning human anatomy as compared to traditional methods. Therefore, we recommend adding the use of 3D-VR in the anatomy curriculum. However, several 3D-VR limitations were also identified, which may hinder its utilization for teaching and learning. These concerns must be addressed before 3D-VR tools are considered for implementation in medical education human anatomy courses.