102 - Mandibuloglossolaryngectomy: A New Dissection Protocol with Implications for Teaching and Learning

Poster Board Number: 102
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Rylan Willis - South Dakota State University

Abstract Body : INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVE: Standard and regimented human cadaver dissection protocols have become common use in human anatomy dissection curricula. As high-yield step-by-step protocols have proven most efficient for dissecting the body in anatomy curricula, widely recognizable dissection manuals (e.g., Grant’s, Gray’s, etc.) are readily accessible in most gross anatomy laboratories, often alongside locally written dissection facilitators to fit the procedures into specific curricular models and schedules. The objective of the present study is to write a protocol for a new dissection involving the removal of the mandible with intact tongue, oro/laryngo-pharynx, and larynx (i.e., mandibuloglossolaryngectomy, or MGL) and investigate its implications for teaching and learning.

MATERIALS & METHODS: Three-dimensional virtual modeling of a MGL was created (Visible Body) to conceptualize the associated anatomy and necessary dissection steps. Four exploratory MGLs were performed on human cadavers to determine the best dissection protocol, and the stepwise procedure was formalized with images and descriptive notes. The most complete dissection was used [as a prosection] to help teach 300+ undergraduate anatomy students about oral, laryngeal, and pharyngeal anatomy. Instructors and students who interacted with the MGL were surveyed for their perceptions of its usefulness as a teaching tool and impact on student learning.

RESULTS: Labeled images of the three-dimensional virtual MGL model and the cadaveric MGL will be presented with the step-by-step detailed dissection protocol and a list of the high-yield structures that can be identified. Instructor and student feedback indicates that the MGL provides new opportunities to teach and learn oral, laryngeal, and pharyngeal anatomy with the advantage of unrestricted views and non-compromised midline structures for teaching respective clinical correlates such as laryngoscopy, endotracheal intubation, and upper and lower dental procedures.

CONCLUSION: Integrating MGL dissections within standard operational human gross anatomy dissection curricula should be considered because they yield advantages for teaching and learning oral, laryngeal, and pharyngeal gross anatomy and associated clinical procedures.

SIGNIFICANCE/IMPLICATION: By presenting a stepwise protocol for performing an MGL dissection, the present study offers an efficient procedural framework for incorporating MGL dissections into existing curricula. Studying the effects of teaching and learning from a MGL in virtual reality, from 3D printed models, and alongside traditional mid-sagittal sections of the same regions could prove to further impact anatomy education for healthcare providers who treat these regions of the body in practice.