Are the changes in anatomy teaching compromising patient care?

摘要

The teaching and learning of undergraduate anatomy is said to be in crisis.1 This is based on reports of an increase in the settlements of claims resulting from damage to underlying or adjacent structures during surgery, which, it is alleged,2 has arisen from a lack of anatomical knowledge. Intra-operative errors are multi-factorial, and familiarity with anatomical structures is but one of many important variables. Furthermore, these surgical errors occurred many years after the surgeons involved had completed their medical school course.