Jordan Tanner’s paper “A Three‐Dimensional Print Model of the Pterygopalatine Fossa Significantly Enhances the Learning Experience” was accepted by the journal Anatomical Sciences Education. The journal is ranked third among all 41 journals that focus on medical education. It was immediately cited by another paper as well.

Recent graduate and recipient of the Rennels Award For Excellence in Graduate Studies, Tanner graduated in 2019 from the M.S. in Cell Systems and Anatomy program and was mentored by Dr. Ramaswamy Sharma. As a student, she created a model of the pterygopalatine fossa.

“The pterygopalatine fossa is a tiny space in our skull that acts as an important junction for nerves and arteries supplying various head regions. If the pterygopalatine fossa is affected, severe headaches called cluster headaches are felt that affect one side of the head, especially the area around the eyes. Therefore, knowledge of this area is critical for doctors, dentists, and ear, nose, throat specialists” she explained.

The model includes the full skull which can be broken apart into two half skulls. The nerves and arteries are displayed as wires. There are also labeled beads so that students reading the accompanying manual identify the corresponding parts.

“The publication is based on my thesis project,” she explained. “The efficacy of the model as a learning tool was tested against the traditional human anatomy skull as a randomized multimodal study.”

During her research, the model was found to significantly improve PPF knowledge in all of the students that were tested. Furthermore, she explained that the students also indicated in qualitative survey that they thoroughly enjoyed learning with the model.

“Overall, it is well-known that the PPF is a difficult area for students to understand and our model is a major step in promoting understanding of this complex space,” she said. “This study also demonstrates the benefits of 3D models in studying anatomy.”

When Tanner learned that her paper was ranked highly, she was very excited.

“I have checked out the paper that cited us, and it was about the benefits of creating patient specific 3D models to better help educate the patient about their disease and help the physician develop specific treatment plans. I am very excited about this because this is one of the benefits of 3D models and it is something I feel passionate about and truly hope can be used more in the future for both student and patient education. A good physician not only needs to heal their patient, but be able to teach them about their diseases. This gives the patient a more active role in their own health and will make them feel more in control of their health care. So it is very exciting and humbling to help contribute further to the discussion of a subject that I feel very passionate about.”

To read more about her project while she was a student, check out the article “Jordan Tanner: My Love For Anatomy.” In Press is a section in The Pipette Gazette that highlights publications by students. To read more In Press articles, click here.