Investigation of medical faculty students' views on cadaver and cadaver teaching in anatomy.

PURPOSE: Cadaver education in anatomy is one of the cornerstones of medical school education. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the importance of cadaver education from the students' point of view by examining the effect of cadaver education on learning the anatomy course. In this study, the perspectives of second-term medical students who received or did not receive anatomy education with cadavers, on cadavers and on anatomy education with cadavers were investigated. METHODS: The study was carried out with a total of 116 (66 females and 50 males) second-term medical faculty students. Participants were divided into 2 groups; the first group (n=56) consisted of students who learned anatomy with cadavers, while the second group (n=60) included students who had never seen a cadaver and learned anatomy through atlas and models. RESULTS: As a result, it was determined that the students in both groups thought that there should be cadavers in anatomy education and education with cadavers would accelerate and facilitate the learning process of anatomy. It was also determined that, the students who received anatomy education with cadaver were psychologically affected by the cadaver compared to those who did not, and they thought that the cadaver was less effective in gaining a physician identity (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: When the results of the study are evaluated, it is revealed that the anatomy course is difficult, but the education given on the cadaver significantly facilitates learning and makes it more attractive.

Effects of Preheating and Sonic Delivery Techniques on the Internal Adaptation of Bulk-fill Resin Composites.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of conventional (hand-placed), sonic, or preheated insertion techniques on the internal adaptation of bulk-fill resin composites. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 150 freshly extracted human third molars were used to prepare standardized cylindrical occlusal cavities. Teeth were divided into five main groups according to the resin composites: 1 incremental (Clearfil Majesty Posterior [CMP]) and four paste-like bulk-fill (SonicFill 2 [SF2], VisCalor bulk [VCB], Filtek One bulk-fill restorative [FBR], and Tetric EvoCeram bulk-fill [TEB]). Each main group was divided into three subgroups according to the placement technique: conventional, preheating, and sonic delivery (n=10). In the conventional placement technique, cavities were filled manually. In the sonic insertion technique, a specific handpiece (SonicFill Handpiece; Kerr Corporation) was used. In the preheating technique, a heating device (Caps Warmer, Voco, Cuxhaven, Germany) was used to warm the resin composites before placement. Internal voids (%) of the completed restorations were calculated with microcomputed tomography. Data was analyzed with two-way analysis of variacne followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons test (α=0.05). RESULTS: All resin composites showed fewer internal gaps with preheating compared with the conventional placement (p<0.05). For all resin composites other than SF2, preheating provided fewer internal gaps than that of the sonic placement (p<0.05). Sonic placement led to fewer internal gaps compared with the conventional placement, but only for SF2 and FBR (p<0.05). For the conventional placement, the lowest gap percentage was observed with the incremental resin composite (CMP, p<0.05). Among all groups, the lowest gap percentages were observed for preheated VCB followed by sonically inserted SF2 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The best internal adaptation was observed in sonically inserted SF2 and preheated VCB, which were the manufacturers' recommended insertion techniques. Preheating considerably improved the internal adaptation of all resin composites, except for that of SF2.

Volumetric Cuspal Deflection of Premolars Restored With Different Paste-like Bulk-fill Resin Composites Evaluated by Microcomputed Tomography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to measure the volumetric cuspal deflection of premolars restored with different paste-like bulk-fill resin composites using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 35 freshly extracted human maxillary second premolars were selected for this study. Standardized large MOD cavities were prepared in each premolar with a bucco-lingual width of 4 mm and a cavity depth of 4 mm measured from the palatal cusp tip. After cavity preparation, all samples were scanned immediately using a micro-CT system. After the initial micro-CT scanning, restorative procedures were performed. Four groups received different paste-like bulk-fill composites-Beautifil-Bulk Restorative (BBR), Admira Fusion x-tra (AFX), x-tra fill, and Sonic Fill-and the control group received a conventional universal composite and Clearfil Majesty Esthetic (CME). Immediately after the restorative procedure, each tooth was scanned by micro-CT in the same manner as the initial scanning. The buccal and palatal regions of each restoration were evaluated separately in terms of cuspal deflection. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the effect of the composite resin, and multiple comparisons were performed by the Tukey test with a level of significance of α = 0.05. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Multiple comparisons showed that teeth restored with the conventional paste-like composite and CME (control) had significantly different cuspal deflection from those filled with paste-like bulk-fill composites (p<0.05). Among the bulk-fill composites, a significant difference was observed between BBR and AFX (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Paste-like bulk-fill resin composites had significantly lower cuspal deflection than the conventional paste-like resin composite tested.

Morphometric analysis of vidian canal and its relations with surrounding anatomic structures by using cone-beam computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: We identified the vidian canal (VC) in a Turkish subpopulation on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images and explored its anatomic relationships; the canal serves as an anatomic pathway during endonasal surgical approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Coronal and axial CBCT images of 100 patients (50 males and 50 females) were evaluated (slice thickness and interval, 0.5 mm). We measured the length of the VC length, extent of VC pneumatisation into the sphenoid sinus, position of the VC relative to the medial pterygopalatine plate (MPP), pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) depth, and VC-VC, VC-MPP, and VC-foramen rotundum (FR) distances, the angle between the posterior end of the middle turbinate and the lateral part of the VC anterior opening, and the angle between the VC and the palatovaginal canal. RESULTS: The mean VC length was 13.09 ± 2.07 and 13.01 ± 2.12 mm on the right and left sides, respectively. Relative to the MPP, the VC was located medially in 54.5% of patients, on the same level in 36%, and laterally in 9.5%. Pneumatisation was of grade I in 24% of patients, grade II in 33%, grade III in 23.5%, and grade IV in 19.5%. The VC-FR and VC-MPP distances were significantly greater on the left side. The angle between the posterior end of the middle turbinate and the lateral part of the anterior VC opening was significantly greater on the right side. The VC-VC distance was significantly greater when the VC lay lateral to the MPP. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic characteristics of the VC on CBCT images unique to Turkish populations should be kept in mind during surgery.

Evaluation of the anatomical measurements of the temporomandibular joint by cone-beam computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: To examine the detailed anatomy of the normal temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in a large series of patients divided into different age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography images of 100 patients included in the study. Morphometric analysis regarding mandibular con- dyle and mandibular fossa, articular tubercle and the zygomatic arch was done. The volumetric and surface measurements of mandibular condyles (total tissue volume [TV], total bone volume [BV], bone surface area [BS] and percentage of bony tissue of the mandibular condyle [BV/TV]) were also measured. RESULTS: Statistical analysis was performed and statistically significant differences according to the side of the joint, sex, and age groups were reported. Additionally, correlations between aging and all of these parameters were also determined. CONCLUSIONS: TV, BV, BS and BV/TV parameters according to side, age, and sex groups were defined for normal TMJ which may help to understand the onset and progress of TMJ disorders.

Neurovascular relationship between abducens nerve and anterior inferior cerebellar artery.

We aimed to study the neurovascular relationships between the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and the abducens nerve to help determine the pathogenesis of abducens nerve palsy which can be caused by arterial compression. Twenty-two cadaveric brains (44 hemispheres) were investigated after injected of coloured latex in to the arterial system. The anterior inferior cerebellar artery originated as a single branch in 75%, duplicate in 22.7%, and triplicate in 2.3% of the hemispheres. Abducens nerves were located between the AICAs in all hemispheres when the AICA duplicated or triplicated. Additionally, we noted that the AICA or its main branches pierced the abducens nerve in five hemispheres (11.4%). The anatomy of the AICA and its relationship with the abducens nerve is very important for diagnosis and treatment.