Anatomy at Risk: An App for Evaluating Hand Lacerations and Planning Surgical Incisions

Abstract

Purpose

Anatomy at Risk (AAR), a website and application, was developed to improve educational access and quality for medical and academic learners pertaining to the hand and wrist. It includes information on anatomy such as vessels, nerves, ligaments, musculature, and bones, as well as physical examinations to be performed by learners in order to help them diagnose injuries. Other resources are typically restricted to noninteractive media such as text-book diagrams and often lack the in-depth information required to gain a proper understanding of anatomy that often presents in the real world. The goal of this app was to provide a free, online, easy-to-access global resource for learning the anatomy of the hand and wrist.

Methods

In 2024, 16 medical learners at a US Medical School trialed the beta version of the app during development via a talk-aloud session and survey to provide constructive feedback on the practicality, usability, and potential benefits of applying the app in practice or for education. Subsequently, a cohort of physician assistant students also trialed the released version of the app and answered the same survey.

Results

The vast majority of learners in both groups responded and reported that the app had great educational value and commented on the ease-of-use, user interface, quality of videos, and detailed content. Initial critiques were associated with navigational issues and mobile use, which were addressed during development and not reported in the second trial.

Conclusions

AAR seeks to provide an easy-to-use global resource for learning hand anatomy and examination. Medical learners believed it had educational value. It was a resource for learning anatomy diagnosing damaged structures and provided easy to find lists of structures and examinations pertaining to a local injury or elective incisions.

Clinical relevance

AAR can aid users in locating anatomic structures at risk of injury and provide them with the key physical examinations to confirm their diagnoses.