Stereoscopic Visualization: A Novel Approach to Anatomy Teaching and Procedural Planning
Abstract
Traditional anatomy teaching in medical curricula, particularly in India, relies heavily on cadaveric dissection and two-dimensional diagrams. While these methods provide foundational knowledge, they fail to convey the intricate three-dimensional complexities necessary for understanding anatomical structures in the context of surgical and interventional procedures. Stereoscopic visualisation, which leverages binocular vision to simulate depth perception when adapted for medical education, offers a promising alternative by enhancing spatial understanding of anatomical structures.
The stereoscopic visualisation system, developed collaboratively by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) and Government Engineering College Barton Hill (GECBH), successfully provided 3D visualisations of patient anatomy, enhancing spatial understanding. Key features included real-time processing of CT and MRI data, the ability to visualise large groups simultaneously, and cost-effectiveness. The system allowed for direct visualisation of DICOM files without preprocessing and included customisable features such as windowing techniques and arbitrary plane sectioning. Users reported significant improvements in understanding complex anatomical relationships and planning surgical interventions. Additionally, the system was superior to cadaveric learning for certain visceral anatomies due to its ability to maintain anatomical orientation and spatial relationships. All this makes it a valuable tool in medical education and practice. Despite challenges such as the need for specific software, hardware, and a dark room setup, the system’s benefits outweigh these limitations. Future improvements could enhance its capabilities and applicability in medical education and surgical precision. The system thus represents a significant advancement in leveraging stereoscopic technology to bridge the gap between traditional anatomy education and modern clinical requirements.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
When publishing with Kerala Medicial Journal (KMJ), authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Work includes the material submitted for publication and any other related material submitted to KMJ. In the event that KMJ does not publish said work, the author(s) will be so notified and all rights assigned hereunder will revert to the author(s).
The assignment of rights to KMJ includes but is not expressly limited to rights to edit, publish, reproduce, distribute copies, include in indexes or search databases in print, electronic, or other media, whether or not in use at the time of execution of this agreement.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
The author(s) hereby represents and warrants that they are sole author(s) of the work, that all authors have participated in and agree with the content and conclusions of the work, that the work is original, and does not infringe upon any copyright, propriety, or personal right of any third party, and that no part of it nor any work based on substantially similar data has been submitted to another publication.
