Barrow researchers display Andrea Vesalius' anatomical manikins for the first time

Dignity Health ArizonaNov 4 2024

For the first time, researchers at Phoenix's Barrow Neurological Institute have collected and displayed together the "manikins" published nearly 500 years ago by the 16th Century anatomist Andrea Vesalius – works that laid the foundation for modern surgical and neurosurgical training.

The research article - Vesalius and His Manikin: An Enduring Influence on Modern Anatomic Teaching – was published in the October 17, 2024, volume of Neurosurgery. 

The most prominent anatomist of the Renaissance era, Vesalius redefined the understanding of human body with his publications De Humani Corporis Fabrica and Epitome. The Barrow-researched article, developed in collaboration with the Huntington Library in California and the New York Academy of Medicine, focuses on a nearly 500-year-old, lesser-known aspect of Vesalius's work: his anatomical manikins. 

Large sheets from his Fabrica and Epitome were designed to be cut out and assembled into paper anatomical models with layers to depict structures such as vessels, nerves, and organs. Students could use these manikins as a guide during their studies to enhance independent exploration of anatomy.

What's amazing is that these manikins were the first attempt to accurately show the organ systems of the body in a 3-D anatomical representation. Students could use these cut out flap assemblies as dissection guides or to study anatomy when they did not have bodies to dissect. Vesalius seized on new printing technology and began a revolution in anatomical teaching with his texts in 1543. They have been written about, but the whole set of them has never been shown graphically together." 

Dr. Mark Preul, Director of The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory at Barrow Neurological Institute, part of Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

During the yearlong project, Barrow researchers delved into primary 16th Century historical documents in collaboration with the Huntington Library and the New York Academy of Medicine.

Significant advancements in anatomic science and medical education occurred in the 16th Century with the relaxation of restrictions on human anatomic dissection by the church and the advent of the printing press in Europe, which enabled the production of detailed and realistic illustrated anatomic drawings. Vesalius advocated for personally performing dissections to learn the structure of the body rather than relying on Galenic doctrine, a set of ideas about physiology, the mind-body relationship and the scientific method that were developed by the physician Galen. 

Vesalius has been hailed for destroying ancient dogma by correctly illustrating dissections and his anatomic discoveries. He created a unique, accurate, applicable and carefully planned anatomic artistic concept and tool that took advantage of developments in printing and communication technology to guide students.

"Vesalius' work was instigated by his belief that effective learning must be in the hands of the dissector," Dr. Preul said. "This concept remains a bedrock of modern surgical and neurosurgical training, where understanding complex anatomical structures in a spatial context remains essential for excellent practice."