Detailed Images for Sustainability Development in Cross-Sectional Human Anatomy

Abstract In medical education and preclinical, clinical and transdisciplinary studies, tutors should be able to perform and offer qualitative study courses with more articulated perspective on higher educational sustainable development in higher education. Digital images have found their direct way to education in different medical areas. The aims of the study are to assess and verify the impact of cross-sectional images on the study process of Human Anatomy. In 2018, two randomly selected groups of 200 students from 2nd study year, Faculty of Medicine (Rīga Stradiņš University) were asked by tutors to identify several anatomical structures, using a three-dimensional virtual dissection table “Anatomage”. Group I analyzed cross-sectional images after cutting and segmentation of human body with interactive tools. Group II studied X-ray pictures, computerized tomography scans and magnetic resonance images of different regions and systems. The present paper focuses on the rate of cross-sectional image effectiveness in both groups. Analyzed detailed images represent their role in teaching and learning of Human Anatomy. Interpretation of these medical images will require very deep anatomical knowledge from basic studies until clinical courses.