Production of <scp>3D</scp> printed biomodels of the canine brain for veterinary neuroanatomy teaching

Teaching neuroanatomy presents multiple challenges to both students and teachers, as it is a subject with highly dense content that commonly causes the development of aversion by students, a phenomenon referred to as "neurophobia," which has been documented in human and veterinary medicine students. Concurrently, fixed parts of the nervous system are difficult to obtain and are highly fragile; therefore, constant maintenance and replacement of these parts are necessary. Additive manufacturing, also called three-dimensional (3D) printing, is an increasingly popular technology with multiple applications, including its use for the production of affordable, safe, durable, low-maintenance, and eco-friendly anatomical biomodels to reduce and replace the use of cadavers in anatomy teaching. This study aimed to describe the production process of three different biomodels of the dog brain analogous to biological models-namely, a six-part detachable color-coded biomodel, a transparent brain with the ventricular system highlighted inside, and a scaled-up isolated ventricular system biomodel. Biomodels present a good anatomical definition, are easy to manipulate, and allow for a different approach for visualizing the spatial relationship between the brain structures and the path of the cerebrospinal fluid through the ventricular system that transcends the simple reproduction of dissected cadaveric parts. These biomodels can be integrated with both traditional and alternative teaching methods, potentially reducing the occurrence of neurophobia and dependence on cadaver use.