Evaluation of 3D-Printed Feline Skull Models as Educational Tools for Radiographic Interpretation of Craniomaxillofacial Traumatic Injuries: A Randomized Trial

Three-dimensional (3D)-printed models have been shown to improve medical students' understanding of anatomy and related fractures. The aim of this parallel-group randomized trial was to evaluate the impact of 3D-printed feline skulls, in addition to traditional teaching, on veterinary students' interpretation of skull radiographs. Students were randomly divided into two groups (2D, 3D) and underwent a pre-test consisting of multiple-choice questions. Subsequently, both groups watched a recorded lesson on feline skull radiographic anatomy and traumatic lesions, and then the 3D group was provided with 3D-printed skulls, normal and with traumatic lesions. Finally, all students underwent a post-test. The multiple-choice questions included orthogonal feline skull radiographs of three different patterns of traumatic lesions, and questions tested their knowledge of normal anatomy and recognition of traumatic lesions. Twenty-three (25.6%) fourth-year and 67 (74.4%) fifth-year students participated. For both the 2D and 3D groups, post-test scores were significantly better than pre-test scores. There were no significant differences in the pre-test and post-test scores between the 2D and 3D groups. Three-dimensional-printed models did not improve veterinary students' ability to recognize anatomical structures and traumatic lesions of the feline skull. Further studies are warranted to define the role of 3D-printed models in veterinary student learning.