Evaluation of Modified Thiel Soft-embalmed Cadavers as a Novel Teaching Model for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and Anatomy among Rehabilitation Medicine Residents.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the perceptions of rehabilitation medicine resident trainees on using modified Thiel soft-embalmed cadavers as a learning tool in acquiring knowledge on musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-UTZ) and anatomy.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study used total enumeration to recruit residents in training under the rehabilitation medicine department of a tertiary referral hospital. An online survey tool was self-administered to determine their perceptions on the use of MSK-UTZ on Thiel-embalmed cadavers. Pre- and post-test scores were compared to determine if their knowledge has improved.

Results: Fifteen participants were recruited, who answered the pre- and post-test, and the online survey. The mean pre-test score of participants was 5.87 (±1.68), and the mean post-test score was 6.87 (±2.00). There was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.20) using a paired t-test. At an arbitrary passing rate of 70%, only 5/15 participants passed the pre-test while 10/15 passed the post-test. A chi-square test of independence showed that there was no significant association between the number of participants who passed or failed on the pre- and post-test, X (1, N = 15) = 3.3, p = .0.068. Most of the perceptions of the participants were positive in terms of the use of modified Thiel soft-embalmed cadavers as a learning tool, its relevance in the training of a rehabilitation medicine resident, and the overall experience on its use.

Conclusion: Thiel-embalmed cadavers as a learning tool was well-accepted, having generally positive perceptions from the participants mainly in terms of perceived enhancement of the understanding of the anatomical basis of musculoskeletal ultrasound, perceived improvement in skills in performing musculoskeletal ultrasound, and most even recommended that it be part of their training as rehabilitation medicine residents. In terms of acquiring knowledge on musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-UTZ) and anatomy, no significant improvement in knowledge was noted. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to yield more statistically significant improvement in knowledge and to observe trends in the perceptions of participants.