OBJECTIVE: We describe a pipeline for creating and publishing online schematic 3D anatomical models, that requires minimal resources and facilitates an intuitive understanding of complex surgical structures, using the inguinal canal as an example.
DESIGN: The open source 3D modeling software Blender was used to generate the inguinal canal model. With screen recording enabled, the model was annotated within a 3D space and the resultant video tutorial uploaded to YouTube. The 3D model was also exported to an online web portal that students could navigate independently. Feedback was collated from YouTube and the online platform over two years via video comments and an online form for platform visitors.
SETTING: Department of Surgery, Western Precinct, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5,438 students utilized the online platform over the past 24 months. Video tutorials depicting the inguinal canal model were viewed a total of 162,181 times across the same period.
RESULTS: Feedback was uniformly positive with a predominant theme of faster comprehension times that were attributed to the visuospatial feedback complementing traditional resources.
CONCLUSIONS: The development of online 3D schematic models is achievable with the use of free and readily accessible computer software. These models allow students to "walk through" complex anatomical areas, which may enable them to better orientate and understand previously difficult to teach surgical concepts.
